Written by Katie VanLeeuwen Entering any new situation comes with a certain amount of anxiety for most people. Picture yourself as a young person walking into a crowded cafeteria. The first thing you do is look around to see if there is anyone you know, right? If there are no familiar faces then you pick ...read more

“If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient. But I only look at the present, I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future.” – St. Therese of Lisieux  Written by Celine Diaz In an ideal world, I ...read more

Several days before his Apostolic Journey to Poland on the occasion of the XXXI World Youth Day, Pope Francis has sent a video in Italian to young people of Poland that was broadcast this evening at 8:00 p.m. across the Polish nation. Below is the English translation of the Holy Father’s Message that was sent ...read more

  written by Risabella Roque World Youth Day… In Europe…?! WITH THE POPE?!?! I’M IN. Upon hearing the news two years ago that the next World Youth Day would be in Europe, my thoughts went immediately to my sister. For how many years had we dreamed of going on an epic tour of Europe! And ...read more

Written by Kiara Smyth and St. Dominic Savio World Youth Day Group Excited.  Nervous.  Hopeful.  Energized.  Overwhelmed. These are some of the words my group and I used to explain how we are feeling as we sit on our first airplane heading to World Youth Day in Krakow.  Two of us have been to WYD ...read more

I am very excited to be taking a slightly different role for this World Youth Day. Even though I am still helping with our S+L coverage and you will see me on TV, I am going to be spending most of my time at the Mercy Centre at the Tauron Arena-Krakow, which will be the hub ...read more

This blog post is part of a 6-part series on World Youth Day. Read them all: Deacon-structing WYD: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 Last time we saw how WYD is an opportunity to “proclaim it from the rooftops.” Today, we have some models that we can follow when ...read more

Story and Photos by James Ramos I really couldn’t feel my legs anymore. My knees lean against the concrete bench that won’t move in front of my group, almost like a church pew kneeler. The crowd behind me presses against my back and 10 a.m., the supposed time of Pope Francis’ arrival to Philadelphia’s Cathedral ...read more

I have never experienced World Youth Day as a pilgrim, and yet I’m a huge fan of the event. In 2008 I had just joined Salt + Light (filling in for a colleague who had decided to volunteer for WYD Sydney)  and was part of the team in Toronto that helped get our Sydney team’s ...read more

  Dear friends and all of you who will join me in Krakow for World Youth Day, especially those of you who will remain in your respective homes and countries. I cannot wait to bring you the experience of World Youth Day; this year it is taking place in my homeland: Poland. I was born ...read more