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History of World Youth
Day
Two years before the first WYD, Pope John
Paul II had witnessed massive gatherings of young people in
Rome: first the Youth Jubilee in 1984 and then for the United
Nations International Year of Youth in 1985. These events, along
with the outpouring associated with them, inspired him to call
for an annual event. The Pope wanted a balance between the
catholic (universal) character of the Church and its local,
smaller character that we find in our dioceses and parish
communities. He also wanted to emphasize for young Catholics the
experience of encountering and falling in love with Jesus
Christ.
Pope John Paul II saw young people not as
the future of the Church, but as key parts of its present. So
WYD became a way for him to reach out to these young Catholics
and show both his confidence in them and care for them. He
envisioned an event that would help to rejuvenate the entire
Church and ensure that the gospel command to teach all nations
the truth of Christ would be met.
Therefore, on Palm Sunday of 1986, the
first ever World Youth Day was held in Rome, gathering young
Catholics from around the world. Every year since World Youth
Day has been observed at the local diocesan level on Palm
Sunday. This helps to ensure that young people retain a vital
connection to their local church and that the missionary message
of WYD stays alive. It is not just a huge event that is fun to
attend; rather, WYD must be seen as part of each young person’s
faith life and vocation to be a part of the life of the church.
To help keep young Catholics connected to
our huge, global Church, every two or three years World Youth
Day is hosted by an international city. In these years it makes
more sense to speak of World Youth Days. There is a week-long
series of activities, including prayer and catechesis that allow
the gathered young Catholic pilgrims to meet other young
Catholics from around the world and share in other cultures,
languages, and expressions of faith. These activities have
always been attended by the Pope, as well as hundreds of
thousands of young people from all over the world.
The week’s activities build up to a
closing mass presided over the Pope. Did you know that when WYD
was held in Manila in the Philippines it is estimated that the
assembly at the final mass numbered over 4 million people?!? The
date and location of the next international WYD is announced at
this mass so that excitement can continue as the planning and
preparation gets started for the future. For more information on
the history of WYD and to see a list of cities that have hosted
WYD over the years or to visit the Vatican website, go to the
links below.
Links
History of WYD
WYD
2008 website
Vatican website information on WYD
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