Seventh-day Adventist young people in Rio de Janeiro demonstrated Christian hospitality this week when they offered 170 Catholic youth in town for World Youth Day a place to stay.

The Italian Catholics were part of the World Youth Day Pilgrimage, which saw thousands of young Catholics worldwide travel to Rio de Janeiro for a week to celebrate the diversity of the Catholic Church and deepen their personal spirituality.

Members of the Adventist Central Church in Rio de Janeiro welcomed the group at the airport and provided transportation and accommodation at the church during their week of pilgrimage.

“We have our doctrinal differences, but we serve a God who gave us an example of loving our neighbors. We are helping these young people not because of their faith, but because they are in need and we would assist members of any denomination,” said Romulo Silver, a local church leader.

During the week of World Youth Day, local Adventist churches also took the opportunity to pray for the young Catholics and invite them to local church functions.

“Several of the [young people] wanted to join in our worship every night and said they liked what they heard,” Silva said, adding that he believes kindness and generosity can send a stronger message than preaching.