WORLD YOUTH DAY 2016 - KRAKOW, POLAND
Community of the Beatitudes
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What is World Youth Day?
In 1984, over 300,000 youth responded to Pope John Paul II's invitation to attend an International Jubilee of Youth in St. Peter's Square in Rome. Inspired by the crowd and his love of young people as the future of the Church, His Holiness invited them back the next Palm Sunday, when he announced the first official World Youth Day, which was held in 1986 in Rome. The first international World Youth Day was in 1987 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since that time, World Youth Day is held every Palm Sunday, although it it celebrated internationally only every 2-3 years. It has been hosted in Spain, Poland, the U.S., the Philippines, France, Italy, Canada, Germany, Australia, and Brazil and it has touched millions of youth who have encountered Christ and the univesal Catholic Church in these joyful and inspiring gatherings of young adults from around the world.
World Youth Day is intended especially for young Catholics ages 16-35, although everyone is welcome. It is a unique opportunity to grow in faith, celebrate the sacraments, and learn about other cultures alongside thousands of others who share your beliefs and aspirations to live as men and women of God.
In 2016, World Youth Day will be held July 25-31 in Krakow, Poland, near the birthplace of St. John Paul II and the site of St. Faustina's visions of the Divine Mercy. This is a typical schedule of World Youth Day events:
Many groups and dioceses from around the world plan trips to World Youth Day that include attending these events as well as their own side trips to tourist and pilgrimage sites or doing missionary or service work. As a religious community with houses around the world, we have the unique ability to stay in the houses of our community (allowing us to stay in many different European countries at low costs) and to host our own catechetical sessions with young people from countries other than the U.S., the U.K, or Australia (English-speaking countries with whom most pilgrims from the U.S. would attend catechesis). We will, however, attend most other official World Youth Day events.
Why does this gathering attract so many young people from every corner of the globe? At the closing mass at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, JPII said, “Why have you come together from all parts of the world? To say in your hearts: “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Who has the words of eternal life? “You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6,68). Jesus – the intimate friend of every young person – has the words of life.”
