While not everyone practices the same faith, it is important to respect other religions and embrace others’ devotions. This past summer, I took a pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland, to further explore my faith and try something that I never have before. As a young Catholic, I was never aware of World Youth Day and had no idea about what a huge deal it was. My experience in Poland was so reflective, rewarding, and life-changing that I love sharing my adventure with anyone I meet!
What is World Youth Day? Well, World Youth Day (WYD) is an international celebration of the Catholic faith that the Pope comes to celebrate mass and speak to the youth of the world. Every three years, WYD is celebrated in a different international city. Past host cities included Rome, Sydney, Paris, Denver, Buenos Aires, Manila, and Rio de Janiero. This past year, it took place in Krakow, Poland and in 2019, it will be hosted in Panama. The event is open to all young people that want to embrace and grow in their faith with Jesus Christ. It shows how universal the Church is, and celebrates young people who want to share their interest in their faith. People from all over the world come, bearing their flags, and spreading smiles and joy.
The first official WYD was hosted in 1986 when Pope Saint John Paul II invited the youth of the world to Rome to gather as a symbol of love. He believed that young people were interested in their faith and wanted to take action. From then on, each World Youth Day has increased in size. Trust me, I have never been surrounded by so many people in my life! According to CBS News, as many as 3 million people attended Pope Francis’s visit to Poland this past July. Pope Francis’s encounter was encouraging as he urged us all to “believe in a new humanity…which is stronger than evil.” As we face constant conflict with terrorism and hate, there is always hope for a change in our world. And this change starts with those who believe in peace.
My personal experience was life changing! I went with a group my peers through our Campus Ministry, including 2 brothers and 2 sisters from the Community of St. John. While we were all different ages, majors, and had varying interests, we quickly became a family through the pilgrimage. What is a pilgrimage? It is a journey to a sacred place, but one goes with a purpose. This purpose is one of the religious type, as you go with prayer intentions, to deepen your faith, and to grow closer to God. As pilgrims, we packed all of our belongs into a backpack for two and a half weeks and stepped outside of our comfort zones. We lived with Polish host families, hiked, camped out in a field surrounded by millions, lived simply, laughed constantly, and examined our hearts and minds like never before.
Not to sound too cheesy, but the experience changed my life! I was able to reflect upon the person that I am, and the person that I strive to be. I grew more connected to my faith, and made friendships to last a lifetime. It was incredible standing in a field or walking around Krakow, and seeing literally hundreds of different flags as I walked by. The love and smiles were endless from people all around the world and even though I could not communicate with everyone in their native tongue, we all smiled in the same language and we all cared about our faith so passionately. I encourage anyone to take advantage of upcoming World Youth Days! For people of different faiths, I urge you to get involved in your faith community, it is never too late.