What is World Youth Day?
Every year, the Church is called to reflect upon and celebrate youth and young adults. World Youth Day (WYD) is an international gathering of young adults (primarily between the ages of 18-39) from all over the world with the Pope. It is a pilgrimage, a celebration, an expression of the universal Church and an intense moment of evangelization for young adults worldwide. Although its Catholic identity is clearly evident, WYD opens its doors to everyone, no matter how close to or distant from the Church they are.
Since its first edition in Rome in 1986, World Youth Day has proven to be a laboratory of faith, a place of birth for vocations to marriage and consecrated life, and an instrument for the evangelization and transformation of the Church. It aims to provide all participants with a universal Church experience, fostering a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It is a new stimulus to the faith, hope and charity of the entire host country community. With young people as its protagonists, World Youth Day also seeks to promote peace, unity and fraternity among peoples and nations around the world.
The international festival of faith in Portugal in August 2023 will be a chance for pilgrims around the world to come together with young people from every continent to pray, worship, and celebrate the Catholic faith. See the International Celebration page for more information.