On Saturday, August 20, 2011, as two million young people gathered around the Holy Father at the Madrid World Youth Day Vigil, 1,200 teens and young adults of the Archdiocese of Chicago met for "WYD-Chicago Style" at Maryville, near Chicago.

"Under the moonlight." participants from 61 parishes and six lay ecclesial movements spent the night in quiet reflection, fervent prayer, and celebration. In Chicago, as in Madrid, the Focolare gen gave their witness that youth can indeed aim high, aim at holiness, aim at being saints.

Just as thunderstorms could not dampen the enthusiasm of WYD Madrid, the inevitable technical difficulties could not curb WYD Chicago Style. The program featured exhibits, catechetical sessions, organized prayer, and performers whose message went straight to the young people's souls. Everything "spoke" the "youth's language"-- from the Little Sisters of the Poor with hula-hoops, to Catholic Theological Union with cupcakes, to the Divine Word Missionaries with energy drinks.

Late in the evening, as events were building to a climax, the youth of the Focolare set up in the gym to present the story of Blessed Chiara Luce Badano. Young people who had seen her picture in the exhibit hall crowded in. Up until that moment the audio system had not been working properly. The emcee used the difficulty to challenge them: "Where is God when things seem to be falling apart?" They sat in silent, rapt attention as a video of Benedict XVI filled the screen, the pope offering Chiara Luce as a "ray of Light" and an example of Christian living. With images of the young Blessed as a backdrop, the gen shared about her life, her cancer, her willingness to demonstrate where true happiness lies—in "Love" with a capital "L." Chiara Luce seemed to be there in that gym, touching the hearts of the hundreds of youth who wanted to learn about this young Italian girl with a bright smile. Despite the obstacles, her message came through loud and clear. When the gen began "Run into the light," the theme song from her beatification ceremony, the whole gym sang along.

Moved by Chiara Luce's example of fulfilling the particular, personal plan of Love that God had for her, a unique plan that God has for each and every person, the throng of young people fell into a reflective silence. Then, at midnight, they joined Joseph Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, for a Mass that summed up their commitment to answer God's call with an unwavering yes to anything and everything that came their way.