World Youth Day USA Guides Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 37

Schedule

your stateside pilgrimage or offer an

Based upon the vision of success, your

opportunity for breakouts on different topics

audience, event summary, the date and time,

or language groups. What catechetical topics

and the budget allocated, the next step is to

would be most valuable for your young

identify the components you want in the

people to hear? What inspiring local or

schedule. You may want to consider mirroring

regional speakers could you invite to offer

the components of the international World

catechesis? Consider inviting your local

Youth Day pilgrimage (see the most updated

bishop(s), if they are not attending the

schedule at www.krakow2016.com).

international event, to offer catechesis to
mirror the international pilgrimage.

Take some time to reflect upon what might
motivate the pilgrims in your community to

PLANNING TIP

celebrate World Youth Day: Is it meeting new

Consider how opportunities for
evangelization and catechesis
can happen informally through
conversation. Invite local priests,
deacons, religious brothers and
sisters, and lay ecclesial ministers
to be present at the event in
prayer and talk with local pilgrims.

people, being a part of a large-scale event,
experiencing the universality of the Catholic
Church through the lens of a new culture,
encountering the Pope, experiencing the same
things as international pilgrims, the heritage
and culture of the United States (or Poland),
or are there other factors or reasons?

Prayer and Liturgy
During World Youth Day, pilgrims are invited

When developing the schedule, also consider

to set aside worldly distractions and set out on

the components of the international WYD

pilgrimage to encounter Christ, the Church,

gathering to integrate into the stateside event.

and other pilgrims. Even though your group
may not be traveling far, consider how you

Catechesis

can help your pilgrims enter into a distinct

During the international World Youth Day

time and space for their local pilgrimage

pilgrimage, catechist bishops from around the

through prayer. Some of the most powerful

world offer catechetical sessions related to the

prayer experiences at World Youth Day come

World Youth Day theme, as well as

at the end of the week with an evening

evangelization and mission. Consider offering

Stations of the Cross service (on Friday), a

at least one catechetical session as a part of

walking journey to the final liturgy site and an
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