World Youth Day in Krakow an incredible experience! World Youth Day (WYD) is an international gathering of young people, together with catechists, priests, bishops and the Pope, in shared celebration and love of Jesus Christ. The tradition was ignited in 1981 by St John Paul II who advocated for dialogue between the Church and it s youth. WYD is a week-long event, held every few years in different host cities. It encourages young people to come together as a community, to collectively listen to the Word of God, engage in prayer and adoration, receive sacraments of penance and the Eucharist, and share in joyful proclamation. This year, WYD would take place in Krakow, Poland, the spiritual home of St John Paul II and St Faustina. It s theme, chosen by Pope Francis, was Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Mt 5:7), fitting as 2016 marks the Jubilee of Mercy. On Monday, July 25 th, over 300 pilgrims from the Dublin Diocese departed for Krakow to attend WYD 2016. I was so privileged to be a part of this group, representing our Parish of St Jude of the Apostle Willington. In previous months we had spent time organising and spiritually preparing for the pilgrimage and so when we arrived at Dublin airport with bags packed, sporting cheerful yellow t-shirts, each of us was ready and fuelled with excitement for the journey ahead. I met with my subgroup, made up of pilgrims from Templeogue, Rathfarnham, Ballinteer, Cabra, Rathcoole and Kildare. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin led us in prayer in the Airport Chapel. Before long, we were soaring through the sky. We landed in Krakow that evening and took a short trip to Hotel Zaczek, our home for the week! Once allocated to bedrooms, we wasted little time in getting to sleep so as to be up bright and early the next day. Tuesday morning, as we waited to receive our Pilgrim Kits and passes, we divided into our subgroups for morning prayer and team bonding.
Already we were struck by the heat of the sun so we hit a local supermarket to stock up on water and snacks. At noon we made our way over to Kazimierz, our WYD Parish church! There, the Dublin leaders welcomed us and outlined our itinerary for the week. We hurried back to base before crossing over to Blonia Park for the Opening Ceremony where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were gathering, each having travelled long distances and all united by similar ambitions on missions of pilgrimage. For the first time, I could recognise the magnitude of World Youth Day, it was extraordinary and it was breathtaking. The congregation was a sea of colour that grew more red, yellow and blue as pilgrims tore out the WYD ponchos in an effort to keep dry when storms shook the sky. We watched as the traditional WYD cross and the Icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani were brought to the altar. The mass itself was magnificent, the Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Dziwisz spoke powerfully to us, encouraging us to Love God and Live Mercy. There was a moment before communion when the sun broke through the clouds and I expect that this gesture lifted the spirits of every person present as God moved us in His embrace. After Mass, the WYD choir lead us in a chorus of Jesus Christ, you are my life a song favoured by St John Paul II. I can t quite explain the joyous atmosphere that first night.
Our first Catechesis session (teaching) took place in our Parish Church on Wednesday morning and at this I really enjoyed singing as part of the Dublin Diocesan choir. Bishop Robert Malone of Buffalo was captivating as he called us to be instruments of Mercy and implored us to always remember the most important thing, God s love for each of us. At Mass that morning the church was filled with young people from Ireland and further afield, and tens of priests and bishops attended to concelebrate, there was a beautiful energy that morning. Later, we returned to the Parish for Evening Prayer before walking to Torres Stadium in hopes of seeing Matt Maher, a contemporary Christian music artist in concert. Unfortunately, the stadium had reached capacity before we got there, while I was disappointed, I found comfort in the strength of the 2000 friends and strangers with whom I waited outside and listened. Together, we formed a giant circle for Lord I Need You, it was inspired! Matt Maher even gave a shout out to his Irish fans. On returning into Krakow, we heard the last of Pope Francis address to the young people, he had arrived earlier on in the day and you wouldn t believe the excitement and anticipation of his coming. Before bed the leaders guided us in reflection and meditation enabling us to recall all that had happened up to that point. We were equally exhausted and encouraged. By Thursday we were well used to the early starts and long days. Security was high around Krakow and as a result there was little in the way of public transport. Undeterred, we walked to Catechesis and mass that morning. This time the Armagh group led us in song and had us rapping along to We Will Praise Him which goes a little like an old Queen favourite! Archbishop Cupich of Chicago asked us to become like disciples, by getting involved in our local churches, by giving of our energy and talents, and by living God s mercy. That evening, back at Blonia Park we had the official pilgrim welcome for Pope Francis. We wore our Irish colours with pride and found friends in others from as far away as Australia and the Ivory Coast.
On a screen we watched as Pope Francis travelled by tram to the park, blessing sick children on his way. Next thing I knew the Pope mobile was gliding past us and the crowd erupted into cheers of delight at the sight of beloved Papa Francesco! The Holy Father imparted to us that the face of mercy is youthful and that Jesus Christ is God s gift to us, he hopes that we will find fulfilment by using our gifts to change the world. On Friday we were given the option to participate in the Walk of Mercy to the Shrines of Saint Faustina and Saint John Paul II. We set off early, carrying with us petitions for our parishes and our loved ones back home. On entering St Faustina s Cathedral we passed through a Porta Misericordiae or Holy Door of Mercy and I learnt that they were commissioned by Pope Francis for the Jubilee of Mercy so that anyone who enters them could experience the love of God who consoles, pardons and instils hope. The Cathedral was very lovely and we enjoyed Mass in a stunning oratory below the main church. I took a moment to light a candle and pray for our home parish. At the Shrine of the Divine Mercy, we met some nuns who offered to pray for our petitions. From there we walked in blissful sunshine to the Cathedral of St John Paul II. The Cathedral was spectacular, detailed beautiful stories from the bible, it was vibrant and still, portraying the wonderful life and work of St John Paul II. We finished the Walk of Mercy and were given the opportunity to attend confession. After a fruitful day we returned to the hotel where we met those who had attended Catechesis with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and exchanged details of all we had learned.
Later in Blonia Park, Pope Francis guided a reflection on the Way of the Cross. We didn t make it there through the masses of people but we waited outside the hotel to listen over the radio. I was so blessed to see Pope Francis passing by in a small car, not 10 feet away! The stations of the cross each corresponded with symbols of mercy. Again, Pope Francis addressed the young people, relating Jesus suffering to that of refugees, the sick and the poor, explaining how Jesus identifies with them and is present to them. He called us to live our lives more than halfway, by living Jesus example and serving the vulnerable. Saturday was here and by half nine in the morning we had set off on our pilgrim way towards Campus Misericordiae where we would gather as a congregation of more than 2 million for the WYD vigil with the Holy Father. We walked under the hot sun along closed-off roads and motorways, meeting others from different parts of the world, singing and having fun as we went. It was a long and difficult 20km but the air of energy and encouragement kept us going, everyone was in it together. As we neared the campsite, locals greeted us with water and fruits some even had the garden hoses out and we danced in their rain! Alas we had arrived and found our section for the night. We rested and rehydrated and tended to our aches and pains. Campus Misericordiae stretched for miles and every inch of the place was a buzz of excitement. At the Vigil, Pope Francis urged us not to become lazy but to get off the couch, to live, and to leave our marks on the world. The sun set and everyone fell silent as we entered prayer, reflection and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Afterwards, we lit the night sky with candles, we sang and danced for a time before retreating to our sleeping bags for a night under the stars.
Sunday morning, as the sun rose, we slowly awoke and prepared for the Final World Youth Day Mass. This time, we were part of a gathering of as many as 3 million and Mass would be livestreamed all over the world, it was incredible! The Gospel told of Zaccheus meeting with Jesus and the obstacles he faced. The Holy Father told us not to be afraid to trust in mercy, but to have courage like Zaccheus. God loves all of us with a special love and we are important, precious and valuable to him, He believes in us even more than we believe in ourselves and we must always welcome him in our lives, and in our homes. At the end of the Mass, Pope Francis announced that World Youth Day 2019 would take place in Panama! Altogether, we sang our WYD Theme Song Blessed are the Merciful before hitting the road once again. Heavy thunderstorms accompanied us on the way back and this time even the ponchos couldn t hold off the rain! We walked on and took a tram the last few stops, it was late when we finally returned to Hotel Zaczek. World Youth Day had finished and we ended our last night in Krakow with a party. Krakow was a much quieter place on Monday and I spent a relaxed morning with my subgroup seeing the town on a city tour. We visited parts of the old town, the Jewish quarter and the Ghetto gaining a brief history of Krakow during the Holocaust. It was a truly special place and I hoped that I might revisit it someday.
That afternoon we left for the airport where once again we faced big crowds and long queues. It was ten minutes from the time of checking our bags to the time of boarding our Ryanair plane home but we all made it. We kicked back and enjoyed the last of our time together the Dublin Diocese Pilgrims of WYD Krakow what a truly fantastic thing to have been a part of!! We arrived home safely and said goodbye to one another with promises to stay in touch and meet at the end of September. Home. Since returning from my pilgrim journey, my faith has grown and I continue to be closer to God every day. I have engaged in DOCAT, a catechism for youth of Catholic social doctrine to help to fulfill Pope Francis dream for our church. I value all that I learnt at WYD and all the friends I made. I was very honoured to represent our parish in Krakow and I am so thankful to Fr Gregory for his support. Looking to the future, I hope to share God s love and live in His mercy. I will always remember the incredible experience that was World Youth Day. God bless, Lauren Manning