Walking in Hope

By Coryal Sylvester

I am a Pilgrim of Hope.

When the Jubilee Year 2025 theme was announced, I never expected it would resonate so deeply with my life. What began as a call to serve quickly turned into a personal journey of faith, perseverance, and grace.

I belong to the La Divina Pastora RC Church in Siparia, a designated sacred site in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain. As a member of the parish media and choir ministry, part of my duties included helping to create a video guide for pilgrims, assisting pilgrims and sharing Jubilee updates.

Balancing all my duties with my first year of medical school was challenging and sometimes exhausting, but I learned to surrender and trust God’s guidance.

The most intense weekend was during the Eucharistic Congress, which coincided with our parish Feast Day and Harvest celebration, during my final exams.

I volunteered long hours with Catholic Media Services Ltd (CAMSEL) one day and returning to parish duties the next knowing that I had a difficult exam to take the very next day. I felt overwhelmed.

During Adoration and Benediction, I asked God for strength and grace. He answered with peace, renewed energy, and good exam results.

Determined to be a true pilgrim, I decided to visit every sacred site, not just as a volunteer but to deepen my spiritual experience. My second pilgrimage came unexpectedly when I helped chaperone a student trip to Tobago, followed by receiving the holy oils with my sister at the Chrism Mass in the Cathedral.

After final exams, I visited Our Lady of Fatima, a pilgrimage that was especially meaningful. In 2023, at the Fatima apparition site in Portugal during World Youth Day, I prayed for clarity about whether to pursue a Master’s degree or attend medical school.

Standing before Our Lady of Fatima again, this time in my homeland, and living the answered prayer, I thanked Our Lady and God for guiding me through my first year.

In June, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in San Fernando, my usually sleepy three-year-old nephew asked to be lifted during Consecration so he could “see Jesus”. Since then, he has stayed attentive during Mass and often reminds us that “Jesus died for our sins,” a moment that touched our hearts deeply.

Recently, I joined my first group pilgrimage to Maraval and Sangre Grande. Expecting to feel like a worker, I was surprised to be afforded the opportunity to enter into God’s presence, as others shared my usual responsibilities. I even fulfilled a dream by singing at Mass in the Cathedral.

Only one sacred site remains: Our Lady of Montserrat in Tortuga. Whether I do it with family or with parish no longer matters.

This Jubilee has taught me that hope is active and chosen. Being a Pilgrim of Hope means trusting God through exhaustion and challenges, discovering His hand in every step. This year has been more than a Jubilee; it has been my journey of surrender, discovery, and renewed faith.