World Youth

* Two years before the first "World Youth Day", Pope John
Paul II had witnessed massive gatherings of young people in
Rome: first the Youth Jubilee in 1984 and then for the United
Nations International Year of Youth in 1985. These events,
along with the outpouring associated with them, inspired him
to call for an annual event. The Pope wanted a balance
between the catholic (universal) character of the Church and
its local, smaller character that we find in our dioceses and
parish communities. He also wanted to emphasize for young
Catholics the experience of encountering and falling in love
with Jesus Christ.

* Pope John Paul II saw young people not as the future of the
Church, but as key parts of its present. So WYD became a
way for him to reach out to these young Catholics and show
both his confidence in them and care for them. He envisioned
an event that would help to rejuvenate the entire Church and
ensure that the gospel command to teach all nations the truth
of Christ would be met.

* On Palm Sunday of 1986, the first ever World Youth Day
was held in Rome, gathering young Catholics from around the
world. Every year since World Youth Day has been observed
at the local diocesan level on Palm Sunday. This helps to
ensure that young people retain a vital connection to their
local church and that the missionary message of WYD stays
alive. It is not just a huge event that is fun to attend; rather,
WYD must be seen as part of each young person's faith life
and vocation to be a part of the life of the church.

* To help keep young Catholics connected to our huge, global
Church, every two or three years World Youth Day is hosted
by an international city. In these years it makes more sense
to speak of World Youth Days. There is a week-long series of
activities, including prayer and catechesis that allow the
gathered young Catholic pilgrims to meet other young
Catholics from around the world and share in other cultures,
languages, and expressions of faith. These activities have
always been attended by the Pope, as well as hundreds of
thousands of young people from all over the world.

* The week's activities build up to a closing mass presided
over the Pope. When WYD was held in Manila in the Philippines
it is estimated that the assembly at the final mass numbered
over 4 million people. The date and location of the next
international WYD is announced at this mass so that
excitement can continue as the planning and preparation gets
started for the future.