World Youth Day 2019 USA Leader Guides Stateside Leader Guide | Page 13

and joy in being together to watch the WYD and to mere consumption, there is no
events that cannot be compared with guarantee that it will bear fruit. Leaders are
consuming quotes on Twitter or watching challenged today to consider how to engage
alone at home. The local experiences can be those who remain.
memorable in their own ways.
From time to time, when people come home
Finally, what happens when the international from a pilgrimage, retreat, or mission trip,
pilgrims come back home and join up with they often do not know what to do next. They
stateside pilgrims? The hope is that everyone may forget that the community was the source
has had an experience of encounter and of their journey and, ultimately, their final
transformation and that they are ready to destination. What is done to cultivate this
transform their communities. Evenings of communal understanding will help determine
reflection where the stateside and if the resources invested in an endeavor like
international pilgrims report back to the World Youth Day serve only individuals or
community or offer gifts to the community the whole Church community.
are ways to help solidify the impact of WYD.
If a hundred pilgrims each brought home ten Conclusion
rosaries that were blessed by the pope, that WYD is a celebration meant for the whole
would mean 1,000 people who were given a Church. The entirety of the Church in the
piece of the pilgrimage. United States is invited to celebrate it, not
only those able to travel. As technology and
Since 1984, over half-million young people media have advanced, the ability to connect
from the United States have participated in a people to the celebration has increased
WYD. How many came back to communities exponentially, but must be done intentionally.
without the mission or permission to work for
the transformation of the Church? How many Leaders of dioceses, eparchies religious
youth and young adults, who could not travel institutes, and parishes are now able to
to WYD, never even knew about it? The understand more fully that this international
community is and must be integral to the festival is not just for the few, but is intended
pilgrim’s story. In more recent times, digital for everyone. The young people who
media has increased the access of non- celebrate stateside are pilgrims too, on the
pilgrims to WYD, but when it is left to chance same journey of faith as travelers to WYD.
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