“At 107 years old he is still strong”: The Pope sent a message to an elderly woman he met at WYD in Lisbon

This Friday, Pope Francis sent a message to a 107-year-old woman he met at World Youth Day in Lisbon.

“At 107 years old, he is still strong and moving forward,” began the words of the Supreme Pontiff, quoted Vatican News. The message was recorded on video and sent to the woman during a meeting between the leader of the Catholic Church and the Portuguese cardinal. D. Americo Aguiar.

Maria da Conceição Brito Mendonça was born on May 13, 1917, the day of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima. When they met on August 4 at the Apostolic Nunciature, the Pope received a rosary from the Portuguese.

“I still have your rosary. Keep doing them, keep praying the rosary and keep supporting the Church with prayer and joy. May the Lady bless you and may the Virgin Mary protect you. And pray for me, don’t you forget.”

Pope remembers sick young man

In another message recorded this Friday, the Pope remembered the 17-year-old Portuguese girl Edna, who wrote to Francisco in June regretting that she could not take part in World Youth Day because she was suffering from an incurable illness.

In a handwritten letter that Vatican News reported was written in hospital, Edna Rodriguez said she liked the pope very much and that her dream “has always been to meet him.”

“Due to health reasons, I will not be able to physically accompany him to World Youth Days. When I learned that World Youth Days would be held in Portugal, I was very happy because every time I see the Pope on television speaking I feel good, as if I have no illness that would prevent me from participating in WYD “, added the young Portuguese woman.

Edna, who belongs to the parish of San Maximiliano Kolbe in Lisbon, later said that a doctor told her that her death would soon occur.

“I was very sad because I thought that I would not be able to go to WYD or see the Pope, which I had always dreamed of. So I decided to write him a letter to let him know what this means and how important it is. for me and my family,” writes Edna, ending the letter with a request to pray to the Pope, to whom she says goodbye “with love.”

Edna, who continues to fight the disease, was remembered by the Pope this Friday during a meeting with Américo Aguiar.

“Edna, I remember you. I remember that you gave all your illness, all your pain for the sake of Youth Day. Thank you for that and thank you for keeping fighting, keeping going, keeping going! Continue to pray for so many young people they need the strength to move forward. Don’t forget that you are one of the pillars of Youth Day. May God bless you, may Our Lady protect you, and do not forget to pray for me,” Francisco said in the message. .

At this Friday’s meeting, Américo Aguiar asked the Pope to also send a message to the young people who participated in WYD in Lisbon and who are already preparing to participate the next day in Seoul.

“They tell me that you young people need to be provoked, otherwise you will fall asleep. No! You won’t fall asleep, will you? You won’t fall asleep. Panama, Lisbon, Seoul, this is the trip for you. the journey you take and it is an interesting journey that leaves its mark. It is important to leave a mark in life, to leave something that you have done. We can say: “A young man passed here and left this mark.” Reflect on this for a moment: “What marks have I left in my life? And carry on, don’t be upset,” Francisco said in another short message.