WYDUSA News & Updates

WYDUSA represents the efforts of the USCCB to connect US pilgrims, who celebrate stateside or abroad, to each international World Youth Day, to enable them to grow and participate in the celebration of youth by the universal Church.

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World Youth Day USA Store
These t-shirts, hoodies, water bottles, blankets, posters, prayer cards and more are available to pilgrims celebrating abroad and stateside, to unite them across continents in their pilgrimages.

WYDUSA News and Information 

NEW: Guides for Pastoral Leaders

These guides are resources to assist bishops, group leaders, and pilgrims in their preparation for WYD 2016.

World Youth Day USA International Pilgrim Leaders Guide: A guidebook for any pastoral leader coordinating a group of youth or young adults traveling to the international World Youth Day events in Krakow, Poland, in the summer of 2016.

World Youth Day USA Stateside Pilgrim Leaders Guide: A guidebook for any pastoral leader coordinating a stateside celebration for youth or young adults in their local parish, diocese, campus, or apostolic movement in the summer of 2016. 

World Youth Day USA Retreat Manual: A guidebook for any pastoral leader organizing retreats and spiritual formation for both stateside and international World Youth Day pilgrims, with templates focusing on pilgrimage, mercy, and mission.

Pilgrim Year of Preparation Spiritual Resources 

Find the Pilgrim Year of Preparation Calendar, Sites of Catholic Heritage in the U.S.A., Patron Saints of WYDUSA, and the WYDUSA Official Prayer all at this spiritual resource page.

Krakow Kickoff- A Successful Start to the Pilgrim Year of Preparation

Bishop Caggiano addressed the crowd about the various ways pilgrims can be involved in preparation for pilgrimage, whether their pilgrimage is international or stateside. Paul Jarzembowski spoke of the resources available on this site, and Sara Perla witnessed to her experience at World Youth Day Rome in 2000. Video  from this special live event will be posted on this website soon.

Read Bishop Caggiano's inspiring opening and closing statements HERE.

Bishop Caggiano recommened that all involved with World Youth Day check out the venue, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, online or as part of a local pilgrimage.

WYDUSA Official Logo

We encourage you to use the WYDUSA official logo to promote WYD, but please keep in mind these terms and conditions.

WYDUSA National Pilgrim Gathering in Krakow

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - Location, time, and other details TBA

Bishop Caggiano's Krakow 2016 Presentation at the 2015 Bishops' June Meeting

"So why should we, as bishops, be a part of the World Youth Day experience? Many of us here could speak to this from our experience. Pope Francis calls us to smell like the sheep..."  Continue reading the full address here.

Błogosławieni is Much Longer Than Blessed

Paul Jarzembowski visited Krakow to prepare for World Youth Day. Read to learn about his trip and the joys and challenges of planning World Youth Day.

Pope Francis 2015 Message to Young People

USCCB Staff Offers Presentation on WYD's Impact in the U.S.A.

Read the 2014 report HERE

Upcoming WYDUSA Resources

About the WYDUSA Logo

 

World Youth Day Alumni Network

Are you an alumni of a past World Youth Day?  

Register to be part of the National WYDUSA Alumni Network.

For the most current updates,
visit our Facebook and Twitter pages

What is WYDUSA?

"We must never forget that World Youth Days are not 'firework displays,' flashes of enthusiasm that are an end in themselves; rather, they are stages of a long journey, begun in 1985, at the initiative of Pope John Paul II." (Pope Francis, Angelus message in St. Peter's Square, August 4, 2013 shortly after WYD Rio)

The USCCB endeavors to update the Church in the United States on the "long journey" that continues after WYD – for young people, their leaders, and "alumni" of past encounters – in the everyday experiences of faith, all of which point toward Christ and the Gospel. Seen from this perspective, then, the international World Youth Days are moments where pilgrims gather together in one place every three years to share those lived experiences, learn from one another, renew their commitment to Christ and the Church, and hear from their shepherd, the Holy Father, so that they might be inspired to continue the journey and change the world.

This summer, in preparation for the next international WYD encounter in Poland in 2016, we begin a "Countdown to Krakow" (the days, hours, and minutes are already counting down at www.wydusa.org). While one year may seem a long way to go, the wait reminds us that the best things in life are rarely rushed – and often best experienced with good discernment, time, and anticipation. Let us take this year to prepare spiritually, mentally, and physically for the international pilgrimage next year to the land of mercy, Poland. 

Use this flier to inform your parish and other communities about WYDUSA

WYDUSA National Pilgrim Gathering in Kraków

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will be organizing a special event in Kraków during the World Youth Day week for WYD pilgrims from the United States of America. Exact details will be finalized this summer.

The USCCB will also have an on-site concierge service in Kraków, where pilgrim leaders can check-in during their time in Krakow for information, concerns, and questions. More details on this will be forthcoming.

Stateside World Youth Days

Not everyone is able to travel to Kraków for World Youth Day. For this reason, we highly encourage local parishes and/or dioceses to consider hosting "stateside" World Youth Day activities in late July 2016, for those youth and young adults who are unable to attend WYD in Poland, as well as friends and families of international pilgrims.

In this way, all young people from the United States will be united as WYDUSA pilgrims. This includes those who will be present in Kraków with the Holy Father as well as those participating in their local area and via social media.

Preparation and Group Leader Assistance

In advance of World Youth Day in Kraków, the United States' World Youth Day Office (WYDUSA) will be working on developing preparation and promotional resources to assist dioceses and group leaders. These resources will be available in summer 2015.

 

Still to come....

• WYD 2016 Official Hymn in English
  

• Pilgrimage Prayer Guide
  

• Leader Guide, Stateside Guide, Retreat Guide
  

• Pilgrim Guide
  

• WYDUSA App for Smartphone
  

• 2016 Bishop Catechists

 

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If you have any concerns or questions about WYD, contact the WYDUSA Office, coordinated by staff at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Washington, D.C., at 202-541-3044 or email wyd@usccb.org; and continue to check back in for updates via the WYDUSA website, www.wydusa.org or Twitter at www.twitter.com/wydusa/.