World Youth Day USA Guides Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 45
The Week After the Event
Realizing that any pilgrimage of this kind is
Collect the evaluations or send out online
survey for event participants; set deadline
not over with the conclusion of the physical
for receiving feedback
event, plans should be drawn up (during the
spiritual preparation process) for continuing
Hold a debriefing meeting with core team
formation and evangelization opportunities, as
and lead volunteers
well as missionary activities, for the pilgrims in
Send thank you notes to significant
the months beyond the original event.
volunteers, collaborators, leadership of the
community (bishop, pastor, lay ministers,
Consider developing additional checklists for
or others), assisting priests and religious,
these next steps. In at least one year’s time,
site/venue contacts, vendors, service
assess the success of this event once more by
providers, and others who contributed to
measuring the involvement, investment, and
the stateside celebration
actions of the pilgrims as a result of the
Email stateside participants with further
program (and any follow-up done by the
opportunities for them to get connected
organizers or pilgrims in the months after).
into ongoing ministries and the Church
Begin preparations for a reunion event
Look ahead to possibly hosting an annual
with stateside pilgrims and international
gathering for youth and/or young adults
pilgrims (possibly with a vocational focus:
similar to this in future summer months, as
what is God now calling you to say, to do,
well as a stateside celebration on the occasion
to be in life after World Youth Day?)
of the next international World Youth Day.
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