Pope pilgrims: How far have you travelled to see Pope Francis?

An expected 2.5m Catholics are expected at the 'Field of Faith' outside Rio de Janeiro in Brazil later this week for Pope Francis's visit. Here five pilgrims explain where they have travelled from and why they are in Rio. Share your stories of travelling to see the Pope in this open thread
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Yolanda Cecibel Ramirez

Yolanda Cecibel Ramirez. Pilgrim picture from Dom Phillips

Where have you come from? Santa Ana in El Salvador. I flew around 12 hours.

Why are you here? I like to serve and help people, and I want to meet the pope, and I wanted to meet Brazil. I have to give out the travel cards (to other pilgrims). I want to meet more people from around the world. So many accents. It's interesting. You can work, you can help, and you can have fun.

Magdalena Feluś

Magdalena Felu. Pilgrim picture from Dom Phillips

Where have have you come from? Jaworzno, Poland. I have come almost 10,000km. I spent 38 hours travelling.

Why are you here? I wanted to change my life. In Poland, I do nothing. I don't have possibilities. I left everything, my mum, my rabbit, school, and I came here. I need to find a goal for life, that's why I am here. I am staying in a church and I am the only one from Poland there.

Francisco Mejías

Francisco Mejias. Pilgrim picture from Dom Phillips

Where have you come from? Maracay in Venezuela. I came on a flight from Caracas to Panama and then to Rio. I was travelling for 12, 13 hours.

Why are you here? I went to the World Youth Day in Madrid. I wanted to help people see God. I think we the young people are the present of the church – in the future, it will be the next generation. We have to make the path to the future. This is a great place to find God and follow that path.

Father Terry Messer

Father Messer. Pilgrim picture from Dom Phillips

Where have you come from? New York City, the Bronx

Why are you here? We in the catholic tradition have a devotion. And what we devote is Jesus Christ. So we bring the young people to see Jesus in the present. We have a quiet time with music, liturgy, at the church to involve all the young people who speak English here. It is an opportunity to mingle with the young people of the world. The young people need to see the positive side of the church, they only see the scandals and the "thou shalt not". They need to see the positive side: the "thou shalt".

Father Messer and Father Lombardo, below, are working at sessions for young people in a Rio church

Father Bob Lombardo

Father Lombardo. Pilgrim picture from Dom Phillips

Where have you come from? Chicago.

Why are you here? We are here to be shepherds, to lead God's people. To help them move away from sin, to a better way of life and to understand the church and have a positive experience of prayer and mass [...] The faith needs to be transmitted to the youth. There are so many things being transmitted to young people that our faith falls by the wayside. This event is a very powerful way that God breaks through to young people.

What's your story? Share your view in a comment on this article.

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