The National Youth Gathering (JNJ) of Peru took place from July 30 to August 2. Our community was invited by the National Youth Ministry to lead times of prayer and, for this purpose, we worked together with the Augustinian Sisters of the Monastery of the Incarnation in Lima.

The city that hosted the National Youth Day (JNJ) was Chulucanas, a city of around 70,000 inhabitants located in the north of the country. With an average temperature of 25°C throughout the year, it is best known for the warmth of its people, who are exceptionally kind and welcoming. Nearly 2,500 young people from across the country took part in the event. Chulucanas is also known as the city where Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, first arrived as a young Augustinian missionary. He lived there for several years. This story is a source of great joy and pride for the people of the city.

Over the past few years, several brothers, together with two young volunteers sent by the community, Vannia (Bolivia) and Christine (France), have visited Peru and Chulucanas. During this JNJ, we were able to witness the fruits of a friendship that has grown over the years with the young people and the Church in Peru. Vannia and Christine joined the JNJ organizing team, and they share their experience with us.

Christine: We arrived in Chulucanas on July 12, happy to return to the small town and reunite with the friends we had left behind with so much emotion the previous year.

We came to help with the final preparations for the gathering and the decorations for the Taizé prayer. As the event drew closer, our friendship with the young people of the diocese continued to grow, as did our involvement in preparing for the JNJ. In the end, we helped with all the decorations for the event: at the soccer stadium, where the main gatherings took place, and at the eleven sites for Christian formation.

We also prepared the materials for a project that had initially seemed a little crazy when the brothers entrusted it to us: making 3,000 candles on site just two days before the gathering for the Saturday evening prayer. But thanks to Brother Hendrik's experience in Brazil and the enthusiasm of the young people of Chulucanas, who were eager to learn, we even exceeded the number of candles we needed!

Vannia: The days of the JNJ were very intense, filled with excitement, joy, and teamwork alongside the volunteers who had spent three months in Taizé over the past few years, as well as the Augustinian Sisters. Together, we make a wonderful team and, above all, continue to build a deep and lasting friendship.

On Thursday, as delegations arrived from every corner of Peru, the families of Chulucanas welcomed them with open arms. In the afternoon, a pasa-calle took place: all the JNJ participants paraded through the streets carrying banners, singing, cheering, and dancing on their way to the Olympic Stadium, where we gathered for the opening Mass.

On Friday evening came the moment we had been looking forward to most: praying together with the songs of Taizé. It was moving to see everyone praying and singing. For some, it was their first experience of prayer with the songs of Taizé, while others were deeply touched to relive what they had shared with us during our visit the previous year. Many young people came forward to the Cross, deeply moved, to accompany Jesus.

On Saturday, the program continued with catechetical sessions, a vocation fair, and a concert, followed by another important moment for us: the Taizé prayer with the symbol of light, during which we used the candles we had made in our wonderful improvised workshop. Sunday marked the closing of the JNJ and the time to say goodbye to the friendships that had been born during this unforgettable gathering.

Together with Christine, Vannia, and Yorvin, a young Peruvian, two brothers from the community, Hendrik et Claudio, will begin a temporary fraternity in Chota from August 3 to 24.

Each day, times of prayer open to everyone will be offered. The experience will also include visits to the cities of Trujillo (on the coast) and Jaén (at the gateway to the Amazon). On August 25, the brothers, together with the Augustinian Sisters, will lead a time of prayer in Lima at 7:30pm at the Monastery of the Incarnation (Avenida Brasil).