World Youth Day for Our Youth & Young Adults
Our Diocese of Memphis will be taking approximately 50 Youth & Young Adults (ages 16-35) from several of our Parishes and Missions on a pilgrimage to attend the World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal in August 2023. World Youth Day is a worldwide encounter with Pope Francis for youth and young adults celebrated about every three years in a different country. It is an opportunity to personally experience the universality of the Catholic Church and to share with the whole world the hope of many young people who are committing their lives to Christ and His Church. World Youth Day is a unique way to deepen your faith and grow closer to Christ, through prayer and the sacraments, together with hundreds of thousands of other young people who share similar interests and ambitions.
During the week of World Youth Day, we will participate in Catechesis each day and attend special World Youth Day events such as the Opening Mass, Papal Welcome, Stations of the Cross, Prayer Vigil and Closing Mass with the Pope. As part of our pilgrimage to Portugal we will have the opportunity to spend a day in Fatima to visit where Our Lady appeared to the three children. We also will be spending four days prior to World Youth Day in Rome where we will get to walk in the footsteps of saints and enter deeply into the history of the Church as we visit major basilicas and venerate relics from the life of Christ. Our schedule and travel are designed to lead all of those on the pilgrimage closer to Christ through the places we encounter and the experiences we have.
The cost per person to attend World Youth Day is $5,500. This includes airfare, lodging, World Youth Day registration, public transportation and meals. It is our goal through sponsorships and fundraising to make the out-of-pocket cost per person $1,000, making this an affordable pilgrimage for any youth and young adults who want to attend. All money received through sponsorships and fundraising will be used to offset the total cost per person, keeping in mind those who might need additional financial assistance. Although the event is two years away, we must start raising money now to ensure we have ample time to raise what we need. We also are starting to make payments now and will continue these payments for the next year and a half.
We are currently participating in the #igiveCatholic Campaign, as announced yesterday, and appreciate any financial support you can give to help these youth and young adults in our Memphis Diocese. Please visit iGiveCatholicMemphis to help sponsor these young women and men as they make this pilgrimage to World Youth Day. This information also is on our CDOMFacebook. God bless!
