World Youth Day Lisbon 2023
By: Fatima Godfrey | WYD Coordinator, Laity, Marriage, Family Life, & Youth | USCCB
I was very nervous in the days approaching World Youth Day Lisbon. It was getting closer and closer to seeing the fruits of a year’s worth of effort and preparation, I didn’t know what to expect. This was my first WYD, and not only was I going as pilgrim leader, but my pilgrims were about sixty U.S. bishops. Our WYD schedule was packed. I arrived in Lisbon on Friday, July 28th, and it was nonstop until Pope Francis gave the final blessing at the Closing Mass more than a week later.
I can honestly say that there wasn’t a moment in Lisbon when I didn’t feel the Lord’s immense love for me through an outpouring of grace, awe, and excitement. There were many high-stress moments that required an abundance of grace to get through. Whether that be navigating transportation amidst city-wide road closures, juggling multiple bishops’ schedules for events, or problem-solving with the other members of the USCCB team. A particular warming moment of experiencing God’s grace was the USCCB-hosted U.S. National Gathering, which I had to emcee alongside two other colleagues.
The crowd doubled our expectations and upwards of 10,000 pilgrims attended the vocation and adoration event. At the national gathering, I felt immense wonder and awe that carried throughout the entire week. Meeting with the hundreds of thousands of young people and the Holy Father Pope Francis truly left all present with this feeling. The excitement was so palpable that it was felt in the air. As I looked around at the various flags waving around me and heard the multitude of languages, I felt deeply honored to play my role and be present in this historic moment in the life of the universal Church.