World Youth Day – How our Parishes Youth were Involved.
So... What's all the excitement about World Youth Day (WYD), and what exactly is it? In simple terms, it's a youth-focused global gathering with the Pope, celebrated roughly every three years in a different country each time. The most recent WYD took place in Lisbon, Portugal, from August 1 to 6, 2023, and youth from our diocese and parish were in attendance. This blog will explore what they did, where they went, and how it changed them.
WYD is open to all young people eager to participate in a joyous gathering centred around Jesus Christ alongside their peers. This event offers a unique opportunity to personally experience the unity of the Church on an immense scale, with 1.5 to 2 million people coming together. It's a distinctive way for young Catholics to deepen their faith and draw nearer to Christ through prayer and the sacraments alongside like-minded young people from around the world who share similar interests and aspirations.
One young parishioner shared, "Attending World Youth Day was a transformative journey that profoundly moved me. The highlight of my experience was the incredible opportunity to connect with countless diverse groups of passionate young Catholics, putting the significance of the Catholic Church into perspective." Another said, "One of the many special moments was the opening Mass for WYD. It was such a shock seeing hundreds of thousands of Catholics sharing the faith, and I have never seen so many priests, bishops, and deacons in one place!"
This journey was, in every sense, a pilgrimage. Our young travellers flew from Sydney to Italy, where they spent their initial 10 days. Their first week's itinerary included Venice, Padua, Bologna, Florence, and Siena. Day seven was devoted to Assisi before moving on to Cascia on day eight and then onto Rome for a few days, visiting the Vatican and various other sites. After a packed faith-filled 10 days in Italy, the parish's youth hopped on a flight to Portugal to join the WYD festivities.
As part of the event, they also visited Fatima, including the Sanctuary of Fatima, paying their respects at the tombs of the visionaries Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco before flying back home to Sydney. Here’s a video that captures this amazing WYD pilgrimage:
For some of our WYD participants, it was awe-inspiring to witness and experience the broader aspects of this pilgrimage: from the enchanting Trevi Fountain to the sacred Scala Santa (Holy Stairs) in Rome. For others, it was an experience to see the Pope in person, interact with people and clergy from various countries, and listen to inspiring speakers like Bishop Baron from the USA.
It’s hard for the WYD celebrations not to pique one's curiosity as massive crowds of young people flood the city streets, all beaming with smiles and joy, singing and dancing, representing diverse cultures and nations, proudly waving their flags (or inflatable kangaroos), exchanging greetings in a spirit of peace, trading tokens, and finding strength in the shared faith of so many. It gives us all hope.
The next World Youth Day will be held in Seoul, Korea, most likely in the summer of 2027. How will you be involved?