World Youth Day 2016
Location: Krakow, Poland
Dates: Thursday, July 21st – Tuesday, August 2nd 2016
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13 Days total
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4 Days of pilgrimage and missionary work July 22nd – July 25th
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6 Days of WYD (official WYD events) July 26th – July 31st
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1 Day “What is Your Story?” Aug 1st
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2 Days Travel July 21st and Aug 2nd
Who?
Ages 16-25, both young men and women. Our target is high school and college students and recent
graduates.
We expect to have 80 pilgrims attending from the United States. Groups will be organized by
cities/archdioceses/youth groups/friends as needed with plenty of opportunities to meet new friends –
all groups accompanied by team leaders and adults. The group from the Chicago locality will be
organized by Fr John Bender L.C. and Melanie Pilon, consecrated woman of Regnum Christi.
Groups will be separated by gender when appropriate.
Who is Sponsoring?
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Mission Youth is the organization hosting this specific WYD Pilgrimage. Mission Youth is an
international private institution (non-profit, insured and liable) that enables and channels the
youth enthusiasm to do missionary work enabling the focus on the New Evangelization by
providing a platform for young Catholics to put their faith into action – Love Christ, Serve
People and Build the Church. Mission Youth has successfully coordinated 8 WYD
pilgrimages. Mission Youth is sponsored by Regnum Christi, an International Ecclesiastical
Movement approved by the Catholic Church.
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The Catholic Pilgrimage Office is the agency coordinating the logistics of the travel and
pilgrimage – Over 36 years of pilgrimage experience.
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WYD Council is the Vatican entity that leads the overall coordination of the WYD Events.
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USCCB, United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, coordinates specific WYD events in
Poland for the USA Youth pilgrims.
Where can I find out more?
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WYD2016 Official site (Be sure to like their facebook and twitter pages)
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World Youth Day Mission Youth Facebook Group will provide specific information about the
WYD Mission Youth Pilgrimage (it is a private group, send a request to be a member)
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Mission Youth WYD 2016 information package
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A glimpse of WYD 2013 Prayer Vigil with Pope Francis as Matt Maher sings “Lord I need You”
(3.5 mins)
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WYD 2016 Promotional Video
Why should I go with Mission Youth?
1. Mission Youth enables a very profound joyful spiritual experience of a life time igniting a deep
encounter with Christ.
2. Mission Youth is unique in its ability to blend a sense of prayer, purpose, and adventure by
offering a dynamic and formative experience that attract youth, form youth and launch youth.
3. Mission Youth Leadership team includes Priest/s from the Legion of Christ, Consecrated
women of Regnum Christi and faith-filled, responsible, caring & strong spiritual adult Mission
Youth staff members who are all in compliance with their diocese’s child protection policy.
4. Mission Youth partners with a superior pilgrimage and travel agency who is highly experienced
in international World Youth Day pilgrimages and has reliable agencies to serve us in Krakow.
5. Mission Youth allows each pilgrim to engage in the true spirit of WYD including participating in
all WYD official events and activities while ensuring all pilgrims have the opportunity to
spontaneously join other Catholic youth on the streets or “waiting lines” to sing, dance or
pray, stop & listen to the music being played in the different corners of the city, meet other
Catholic youth from different countries, take pride of their nationality by wearing their flag
colors and much more…Who said Catholics were not fun!
Prepare Spiritually & Physically for WYD Krakow 2016
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Prepare Spiritually: Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are great ways to spiritually prepare! Here
are some examples that you can start now: increase your visits to Eucharistic Adoration, add
or start going to daily mass, sign up for a workshop/meditation/speaker at your church, do a
local mission, go to reconciliation once a month, read a spiritual book, sign up for a retreat,
pray the rosary more frequently…these are just a few examples. God gives extra graces to
those who make a pilgrimage. Pilgrims’ hearts need to be open to the grace God is giving. The
greatest opportunity on pilgrimage is that God can transform hearts. It is a time to hear His
calling and clarify or understand your mission in life.
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Prepare Physically: WYD isn’t a walk in the park. It consists of walking and hiking, morning
and night – enduring days of 15 to 18hrs of events and activities. The closing weekend
includes a long and fun walking pilgrimage to the Evening Prayer Vigil & Closing mass and
“Sleeping under the starts” site (a highlight and a very memorable evening of WYD). The last
two days are a mixture of fun and physical endurance. It’s like a two day-hiking camp trip.
**The definition of a pilgrimage is a journey a pilgrim makes ultimately to come to know Christ in a
deeper way. WYD2016 is a pilgrimage. It is important to put emphasis on the spiritual aspect of this
trip to Poland beyond a cool trip to Europe! A fruitful pilgrimage is one that is rooted in prayer and
one where we are open to experiencing Christ in our lives. We invite you to prayerfully prepare for
WYD, enthusiastically participate during WYD events and afterwards, spend time reflecting on this
experience and share your witness with others. Our last day of WYD, August 1st, we will have the
opportunity to ponder, reflect and if pilgrims would like, they can share their experience, “What’s your
Story” – WYD will add a very unique and special story into your life.