Young Couple Finds Love and Purpose Through World Youth Day
Fabiola and Gustavo, a couple who met at Charismatic Revival gatherings, have found love and purpose through their participation in World Youth Day events around the world. The duo has volunteered together in Rio de Janeiro, Krakow, Panama, and Lisbon, and have experienced the beauty of diversity and unity firsthand.
Gustavo, a designer who created the logo for the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, never expected that this opportunity would set him on a far-reaching path. During the event, he fell in love with Fabiola, a 26-year-old journalist. They later married and continued to serve God together. Fabiola spoke to the Vatican News Network about their journey.
According to Fabiola, the World Youth Day carries a profound and practical message. The event promotes solidarity, communion, and the beauty of church members coming together and witnessing their faith. It creates a sense of unity and belonging among attendees, making them feel like one big family.
“The World Youth Day is a school that walks together and changes lives,” Fabiola said. She pointed out that both the church and society are often superficially united, but the true beauty lies in “seeing unity in diversity.” During the preparations for World Youth Day, they have experienced the richness of the Church firsthand, with people from different cultures and countries coming together and helping one another.
In 2015, Fabiola and Gustavo were invited to participate in the World Youth Festival in Krakow, shortly after their wedding. They saw this as a sign from God and spent their first year of marriage as a family in Poland, the hometown of Saint John Paul II, who is considered the father of World Youth Day. In 2019, they went to Panama again to do volunteer work, and now they are devoting themselves to the upcoming World Youth Day in Lisbon. The couple stayed in Lisbon for two months to prepare for the grand gathering of the pope and the youth.
For Fabiola and Gustavo, their involvement in World Youth Day is not just an event but a mission given to them by God. They see it as an answer to their call and feel that they have received so much from God that they long to give themselves fully in return.
To learn more about the inspiring journey of Fabiola and Gustavo, visit the link provided: www.vaticannews.cn.