Throughout the days after Our Lady called for a Year of the Youth, there was much enthusiasm among the youth to gather in prayer. Marija asked a Caritas representative to have their prayer group beside the Church on Sunday, August 21st, for a singing and prayer celebration. They felt honored to participate in the first of these celebrations. The description that follows is from one who was present that night:
The evening started with Marija gathering with the group around the statue of Our Lady at the front of the Church. Several loaves of bread, trays of watermelon, cookies and juice were on the ground in the center of the group. Marija was instructing an Italian priest and woman about how the evening should go. After the praying and singing, the priest said that because we had shared the prayer and song we should also share the food. He then blessed the food and it was eaten by all. Afterward there was more singing and then Marija addressed the crowd and said that at 11 p.m. (the service began at 9 p.m.) everyone should return to their lodgings in silence. It seemed, Our Lady was guiding Marija, because she would tell the priest now and then when singing should begin. She then repeated Our Lady’s desire for them to return home in complete silence. Could Our Lady be suggesting this as a ceremony to be duplicated throughout the world?
