Stara Boleslav, Czech Republic  - When Katerina Glacova, a 20-year-old mother of one, received baptism earlier this year, her relatives showed little enthusiasm.

"They told me: You are of age. It is your life. If you want to believe, then do so," she said, rolling her eyes to illustrate their measured disapproval.

Glacova represents a rare species in the Czech society - a young Roman Catholic who converted to her faith despite a secular upbringing in a country where many scorn organized religion.

A three-day visit by Pope Benedict to the highly secular Czech Republic, which ended Monday, provided young people like her with an an opportunity to feel - at least during the pope's stay - as members of a vibrant and thriving community.

Some 15,000 young people attended open-air mass in Stara Boleslav on Monday, where the pope paid tribute to Czech patron saint, St Wenceslas, and also took time to speak to the youth.

Scores of young believers also arrived in Brno, where some 130,000 people gathered for Sunday mass, the highlight of the papal visit.

Judging from his farewell speech, the 82-year-old pontiff appeared both surprised and pleased that so many young people took part in the services.

"I was especially delighted to meet the young people, and to encourage them to build on the best traditions of this nation's past, particularly Christian heritage," the pope said shortly before his departure.

Glacova discovered God thanks to her 26-year-old husband Karel, a manager of an internet store, who grew up in the Church. Since accepting the faith, the slender brunette has met with all sorts of reactions from her peers.

"Sometimes you meet people who openly laugh at you," she said. "You tell them you are a believer and attend mass every week. You must be joking, they say."

The young family from a village in the eastern Czech Republic - the couple has a nearly two-year-old daughter Katerina - followed the pontiff around during his tour of their country.

They arrived in Stara Boleslav on Sunday night after attending the giant outdoor mass in Brno. They slept in their car and rushed to a field, where Monday's service was held, as early as 4 am.

They were not alone in awaiting the pope for hours in the morning chill. Veronika Cizkova, a 17-year-old secondary school student from Ostrava, wore thick green gloves in an effort to fight off the cold.

"Young people who go to church have a better start in life," she said. But the bespectacled student tucked in a sleeping bag also acknowledged that many in her country held grudges against churches. She expressed hopes that the papal visit would change that.

Standing a short distance away, Klara Bednarova, an 18-year-old high school student from Pardubice, a city 110 kilometres east of Prague, was less optimistic. "I think that one visit can't change it," she said, surrounded by a group of friends from her parish.

But the visit made her feel that she is no longer a rarity.

"The crowd left me feeling that I am not alone in faith," she said.  dpa