World Youth Day USA Guides Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 38

evening prayer vigil (on Saturday), culminating time on the schedule for reconciliation or with the Concluding Mass (on Sunday). Are make them available throughout the program. there ways that you can utilize technology to Regardless, access to this Sacrament is a key pray with the Holy Father and the component that should be integrated into the international community live (or record and prayer experiences of your celebration. watch portions of the international prayer later in the schedule)? Help provide a Music and Food powerful pilgrimage experience by Music in prayer and celebration is a powerful incorporating new prayer experiences or tool to highlight the local culture of the World moving images of faith as a part of prayer. Youth Day host country. In what ways can Consider having a candlelight Mass or you highlight the music or cultural traditions Eucharistic procession, prayer with icons, of the host country, as well as the musical veneration of the cross, multilingual prayer, elements of the various World Youth Day the Via Crucis, and so forth. experiences internationally? Is there also a way to highlight the musical talent of your local PLANNING TIP community at the stateside event? Did you know there is an official World Youth Day cross and icon that travels the world in preparation for World Youth Day? Consider making a replica for your local celebration or using another significant local symbol of faith and sharing it around parishes in your Diocese in preparation for your local pilgrimage. Consider featuring one of the songs from the World Youth Day Concluding Mass or a devotional or traditional hymn from the host country in the native language. Every World Youth Day includes an official theme song released in the language of the native country, which may also be available in several other languages (for WYD 2016, the theme song is Another major component of the “Blessed Are The Merciful,” with sheet music international gathering is the accessibility of and lyrics in English and Spanish available the Sacrament of Reconciliation at various online at www.wydusa.org). Consider using locations and on almost all the days of the this song as a part of your local pilgrimage in World Youth Day experience. Consider solidarity with millions throughout the world inviting several confessors to be part of your who are also singing versions of this hymn. stateside event; you can either have a special 36