Young people ages 16 to 30 from the U.S. and Canada gathered at Milwaukee's Sacred Heart Parish for the 2016 Mladifest youth fest, from Friday, June 3rd to Sunday, June 5th.
![Holy Spirit symbols](/uploads/7b3c89fa93aacdb57b798a3338c9997a37285195/7i9tecthhepdqr83urjr081de4l.jpg "Holy Spirit symbols\")
The theme of this year's Mladifest was how to kindle our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Father Damir Stojic, a Salesian priest born in Canada but serving young people in Zagreb, Croatia, taught us how to open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit.
Other presenters helping us were Jackie Francois (a singer and youth ministry missionary from California)
and Father Mike Lightner of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Coming all the way from Zagreb, Croatia was the musical group, "Nova Eva." Nova Eva works closely with Fr. Damir to use all forms of new media to bring about a New Evangelization of young and old. ("Nova Eva" has a double meaning: Nova Eva is short for the Croatian words for "New Evangelization" and it also means "New Eve," a reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary.)
Pictured above left to right, Nova Eva's Josip, Ivan, Diva, Vilko, Filip, Mila and Tino elevated our spirits through powerfully prayerful music.
With the assistance of many, Filip was responsible for recording Mladifest in photos, audio and videos.
Fr. Stipe Renic of Chicago's St. Jerome Croatian Parish kept things flowing as our master of ceremonies.
We listened to profound talks and testimony.
We celebrated the sacraments of Eucharist and Confession.
We witnessed the transfer of the Mladifest Cross from representatives of the Milwaukee Mladifesters to representatives for Vancouver Mladifest 2017.
According to many testimonials, the pilgrims to Milwaukee were happy with the tremendously generous hearts that planned for them, sponsored them, hosted them overnight, fed them, reconciled them, prayed with them, sang with them, had fun with them, and loved them! Thanks be to God!
Many of us left determined to seek to let the Holy Spirit guide us to continually make our relationships with God and with neighbor deeper, less selfish, and more sacrificially loving.
See you in Vancouver at the next Mladifest! Vidimo se!