World Youth Day, the international Catholic festival for young people organized by the Holy See, has gathered millions of young Catholics in cities across the world since its founding by Pope John Paul II in 1985.
The Lisbon 2023 World Youth Day drew an estimated 1.5 million pilgrims for the closing Mass. Pope Francis celebrated with them and offered a message of hope, urging young Catholics to be "protagonists of hope" in a troubled world.
Many Catholics trace their deepest spiritual experiences to a World Youth Day pilgrimage. The combination of massive communal prayer, catechetical events, encounters with the Pope, and time with Catholics from every nation creates an experience that is genuinely transformative.
