PROVAC Costa Rica: Missionary Witness and Presence at the National Youth Day (NYD) 2026
“Take courage; I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)

More than ten thousand young people from every diocese in Costa Rica, as well as from other countries throughout the region, responded to the Church’s invitation to participate in the 2026 National Youth Day (NYD), held on July 11 at the Expo Pococí Fairgrounds in Guápiles, Diocese of Limón. Throughout this great celebration, Costa Rican youth experienced a day filled with prayer, formation, fellowship, and joy, demonstrating that they continue to seek opportunities to encounter Christ and discern the vocation to which He calls each person.

As the PROVAC Costa Rica Team of the Quebec Foreign Mission Society (QFMS), we had the opportunity to participate in the Vocational Fair, where we shared our missionary spirituality, charism, and the initial formation program we offer in Central America, which will begin this coming August in Costa Rica.

Although our booth was not located alongside the religious congregations, but rather in an area designated for social organizations and ecclesial movements—sharing the space, among others, with the Laudato Si' Movement—this circumstance ultimately became a valuable opportunity to reflect on our presence and identity within the Costa Rican Church.

Rather than becoming discouraged, we realized that we still have the beautiful challenge of making the Quebec Foreign Mission Society better known for what it truly is: a Society of Apostolic Life dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel and living out the Church's universal mission. With humility, perseverance, and a spirit of closeness, we will continue working so that more people may come to know our charism and discover the richness of the ad gentes missionary vocation.

Although our booth was located away from the main stages where the large gatherings and concerts took place, many young people still made their way to visit us. In fact, this setting allowed us to meet individuals who were genuinely seeking concrete opportunities to discern their vocation.

Throughout the day, we welcomed approximately 120 young people from nearly every region of Costa Rica—including Guanacaste, Limón, Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia, San José, and the Southern Region—as well as participants from Nicaragua and other countries who were interested in learning about the QFMS mission in Central America.

Our conversations throughout the day confirmed that many young people continue to ask serious questions about the meaning of their lives and sincerely desire to discover the path to which God is calling them. Some expressed a particular interest in our initial formation program, while twenty young people chose to subscribe to receive monthly news and updates from the QFMS, taking an important first step in their vocational discernment journey.

In addition to providing informational brochures, everyone who completed the registration form received commemorative bracelets and keychains bearing the QFMS logo. These simple gifts helped foster meaningful conversations and encouraged many young people to approach us with confidence and learn more about our missionary work.

Beyond the numbers, this experience left us with a profound conviction: Costa Rican youth continue to respond generously to Christ’s call. In the midst of a society facing many challenges, we encountered young people eager to build lives inspired by the Gospel and dedicated to serving others. With hope, we pray that some of these generous hearts will also discover the beauty of the missionary vocation and, God willing, one day become part of our missionary family.

Finally, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this participation possible.

We extend our special thanks to Jorge Ortega ("Koki"), who spent several months coordinating with the NYD organizing committee to secure a place for our booth and who also designed and produced the commemorative keychains distributed during the event.

We also wish to thank Angie Fernández for designing the stickers that attracted the interest of many young people; Kylie Ortega for creating the photo frame used by numerous participants; José Ignacio Badilla for coordinating transportation and driving the minibus throughout the trip; Enrique Pérez and Leonor Carranza for providing accommodation for our teammate Luningning Alvarado, who traveled from Honduras to share her missionary testimony and bring the bracelets distributed at the booth; and José ("Chepito") Morales for his generous service throughout the entire day.

To every member of the PROVAC Costa Rica Team, thank you for your dedication, organization, and missionary spirit. Without the commitment of each one of you, it would not have been possible for us to be present at one of the most significant youth events in the Costa Rican Church.

We continue our journey with hope, convinced that the mission begins wherever a young person dares to ask God what He wants to do with his or her life.

“Every conversation, every smile, and every young person who visited our booth was a seed planted. Time will reveal how many of those seeds will bear fruit, but we will continue sowing with the certainty that it is God who brings vocations to growth.”