Group Celebrates World Youth Day In At Vatican

By TANJUA DAMON-MERROW

Published: Aug 23, 2000 12:00 am

By Tanjua Damon

Imagine being in a crowd of over three million people in a field outside Rome. It was a reality for a St Rose of Lima group who participated in World Youth Day in Italy this month.

The group of 54 from Newtown, Fairfield, Monroe, Trumbull, and Canada, in part representing the Diocese of Bridgeport, left on August 7 for their adventure and returned to the states on August 21. While in Italy, it was hard to miss the group. For five days, carrying an American and Canadian flag and wearing tie-dye tee shirts, they walked around the streets of Rome.

Father Peter Towsley of St Rose Church said World Youth Day is about gathering youth from around the world to have a positive experience and gain answers to difficult questions.

â[It was] phenomenal,â he said. âItâs not a trip or vacation. Itâs a pilgrimage. The thing that you experience sitting there with Italian, Lebanese, Africans, Polish, Germans, Canadians, people from Brazil and Cubaâ¦ all sitting around you, who are generally Catholic looking for straight answers in a difficult time. To be amongst fellow Catholics can only have a positive influence.â

Sara Frampton, 19, of Newtown enjoyed her experience. Participating in mass with the Pope was an experience she wonât forget. She is a sophomore at Sacred Heart University.

Â âIt was fun. We had to go on a hike that lasted forever,â Miss Frampton said. âIt was very spiritual. It was very moving to see the Pope. When we were in St Peterâs Square, I was four feet from the Popeâs welcoming wagon. He was just right there.â

Sara was impressed with the number of people who were at the event and the peaceful atmosphere that she experienced there.

âKids from all over the world were there. I have never met so many people. Everyone got along. I have never been some place where there were so many people and everyone got along.â

Dani Mikula, 18, of Trumbull also felt the trip was one she couldnât miss. She is a sophomore studying psychology at Sacred Heart University.

âIt was a once in a lifetime experience that despite everything, I donât regret anything,â Miss Mikula said. âI have a new understanding and respect for the history of my religion. I gained pride from the pilgrimage.â

World Youth Day began in 1985. Every two years Catholics from all over the world meet at a designated place for a 12-day pilgrimage to experience the spirituality of their religion and an opportunity to connect with other young Catholics between the ages of 16 and 30 from around the world. In 2002, World Youth Day is planned in Toronto, Canada.

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My darling, You were the best GRANDmother a child could ask for. You created so many great memories & traditions that I have passed down to your Great grandchildren. You brought joy into every room you stepped into. Your laughter, singing, whistling and the signature Rockettes high kicks, is something I will always hold in my heart. There was something about walking into your home and being greeted by your beautiful face. *kiss on each check* followed by HELLOOOOOO Darling! The classical music playing softly in the background and your love and comfort made your home, a safe space. Somewhere, where love knew no boundaries. It was so much more than a home. I aim for the same in my home, and play the classic music 24/7, but it will never be the same. I pray I can be 1/4 of GRAND, you put in GRANDmother. You were so resilient. You found the positive in every situation. I look up to you so much. I remember begging Mom and Dad for years to change my name to “Carmen”. They didn’t officially change my name, but eventually started calling me “Carmenita” as I am a little you. THE HONOR. You were there for me, no matter the day or hour. You were always the one who would talk me through whatever hard situation I was going through. When my baby passed away, I refused to talk to anyone for 3 weeks. Except for you. You said to me “Better days are coming, babes. There’s always a rainbow after the storm”. Of course, you were right, because you are GRAND. I picture you in heaven dancing and laughing with him. Uncle Jay playing the money game with him. To know you are with your children again & with mine does bring me some joy. Twas the night before Christmas & New Year’s Eve, will never be the same. Another tradition you created. A memory that will last forever. Not just with me, but for generations to come. It may not be the same, but we won’t let it die. It will live on, in your name. To be your first GRANDchild was a blessing. I could write an entire book about you & all the amazing things about you. Even though we were robbed of time together & it makes me angry, I know I will see you again. This isn’t a goodbye, but a “see you later”. Just like we ended every phone call. Ciao, darling. I love you. MWAH MWAH! Love your GRANDchild, Kimberly aka Carmenita

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Unfortunately, I think this is likely to get worse, not better... Based on both public comments and private conversations, I’m increasingly concerned that our newly elected First Selectman intends not just to install these cameras, but to expand their use for full-blown enforcement and fines. Try getting a straight answer out of him about the long-term plan and you quickly realize how vague the responses become. Tyler is absolutely right to raise the privacy issue. These systems don’t just “catch speeders” — they quietly build a database of where we drive, when we drive, and who is in our vehicles. Once that infrastructure is in place, it becomes very easy to justify expanding its scope: more cameras, more locations, more uses, and eventually more automated enforcement. If Newtown is going down this road, residents deserve clear, written answers to some basic questions before anything is expanded: What limits will be placed on how and where cameras are used? Will footage and plate data be used only for speed enforcement, or for other investigations too? How long will data be stored, and who can access it? What safeguards will prevent vendors and individuals from abusing this information? Without firm, enforceable rules in place, “just a few cameras to slow traffic” can turn into something very different over time. I support safe roads — but not at the cost of unchecked surveillance and vague promises from our leaders. You try getting straight answers out of our First Selectman, myself and others have not been able to...

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Real people were just in a frightening car accident. To immediately frame their misfortune as rhetorical ammunition against new housing — affordable housing included — feels less like concern for “health and safety” and more like opportunistically using a scary moment to support a pre-existing position. If we’re going to debate this proposal, we should do it honestly: with data on traffic volume, accident history, engineering recommendations, and the town’s housing needs, not by seizing on a single crash as proof that 300 apartments are inherently unsafe. Newtown deserves a thoughtful, fact-based conversation about growth, safety, and affordability — one that doesn’t turn other people’s bad day into a political talking point.

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To add context that did not occur at the meeting would not be an accurate representation of the meeting and would, in fact, be editorializing to shape public opinion. The editorial staff here do not consider ourselves to be final arbiters of what the truth is (and if we did, it would make us partisan and biased), and we would need to provide a source for any dissenting information (sourcing all information in an article is literally Journalism 101). There were no such sources present at the meeting in question, and so it would not be appropriate to include such information in an article about the meeting. Dissenting voices appear in meeting stories when there were active participants with dissenting opinions, such as during public participation or the words of a council member who disagreed. It should be noted that the Interfaith Council, like many local boards and commissions, conduct meetings that are open to the public. This was not an article on the actions of the Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants, or on immigrants, or on ICE's actions in the community, where including other voices or perspectives would be appropriate. We appreciate your opinion, but we stand by our meeting coverage and consider this discussion closed.

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Group Celebrates World Youth Day In At Vatican

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