World Youth Day USA Guides Retreat Manual | Page 11

General Introduction to the Retreat Experiences

NOTE TO LEADER: If each retreat experience

Suggested Remarks

is done individually, these general introductions should

Leader: We hope that our introductions today

be repeated at the beginning of each session (or at least

will help everyone begin to think about what it

referred to in later sessions).

means to be on pilgrimage. I hope that
everyone here is excited to go to World Youth

Introductions and Process

Day. But being on pilgrimage is different than

You may want to take this opportunity to

going on a vacation. What is unique about a

explain your particular group’s preparation

“pilgrimage” is that we’re called by God to go

process. Consider sharing the background to

somewhere, with the hope that we will

World Youth Day (history, goals, why you’re

encounter the Lord along the way and be

going, logistics and other details).

somehow transformed by the experience.
Every journey we take has the potential to be a

If your bishop or pastor is present, introduce

“pilgrimage” of sorts, especially if those day-to-

him to the participants and vice-versa. Allow

day encounters lead us closer to Christ.

time for the bishop or pastor to make some
Sometimes it is a matter of reflecting on whom

welcoming remarks.

we meet, what we learn, and what we discover
Personal Introductions

about ourselves – like confronting our fears or

We encourage you to begin each session

discovering our own inner strength. For our

together with introductions. Whether the

introductions today, we’d like you to share your

pilgrims in your group already know each other

name, your hometown, y