St. Francis' first Wyd ever!
We are very excited to announce St. Francis of Assisi will be taking part in a pilgrimage to World Youth Day, an international gathering of young Catholics (ages 18-late 30s) from around the world in a celebration of faith and culture. Whether you are able to attend with us, spiritually cover our preparations in prayer, and/or contribute to our fundraising efforts, we invite you to learn more and GET involved! This is sure to be a significant faith experience in the lives of our pilgrims and we look forward to sharing the journey and bringing back the joy and excitement to our amazing parish. Our world and our Catholic Church can use the hope and energy of youth now more than ever! For more information about our pilgrimage and preparations, fill out the form at the bottom of this page or contact our leaders Mike & Sue Ann Saltarelli
WHAT IS WORLD YOUTH DAY (WYD)?
WYD was started by Pope John Paul II in 1984 when he declared the Youth Jubilee of the Holy Year of Redemption, which was celebrated by a larger than expected gathering of young people from throughout the world. After repeating the gathering the following year, World Youth Day was officially instituted in 1985, when the church began an intentional time to celebrate and recognize youth and their gifts to the church. In addition to yearly local celebrations, every 3-ish years there is an international gathering with millions of young pilgrims and the pope at changing destinations throughout the world. Previous World Youth Days have been held in places like Panama City, Krakow, Rio, Madrid, Rome, Buenos Aires, Paris, and Cologne. Though called a "day" it is actually more of a week of celebrating the Catholic faith, solidarity, and strengthening a relationship with Christ.
Learn A LOT more about World Youth Day, at the Official World Youth Day Site.
Learn A LOT more about World Youth Day, at the Official World Youth Day Site.
WHAT IS THE ITINERARY FOR ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI PARISH IN 2023?
Our rough itinerary is as follows:
Day 1 - TRAVEL TO PORTUGAL - After a departure Mass all are welcome to attend, we will head to Toronto for our flight to Lisbon, Portugal.
Days 2-6 - LISBON/FATIMA - site-seeing, World Youth Day activities, and a special pilgrimage to Fatima one day. The day we travel to Fatima we will visit the Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. We will join the English language concelebrated Mass at the Chapel of Apparitions before a break for lunch on our own. We will then visit the birthplaces of Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia, the Loca de Anjo and the Holy Way.
Day 7 - WYD OVERNIGHT VIGIL with Pope Francis. All pilgrims journey on foot about 10 miles to the Vigil site and spend the night there. The evening consists of Adoration and prayer.
Day 8 - WYD CLOSING MASS with Pope, journey back to the hotel for the night
Day 9 - AVILA - Drive east into Spain and in early afternoon arrive in the charming village of Avila, the birthplace of St. Teresa of Jesus, (1515-1582), one of the Church's greatest and most influential mystics. Following lunch on our own we will visit the Cathedral and the Convent of the Incarnation, where St. Teresa lived for three decades and St. John of the Cross, her spiritual director and confessor lived for the last two years of her life. Dinner and overnight at our hotel near here.
Day 10 - MADRID - Early this morning, we drive to Madrid where we begin our touring at the famous Cathedral of Madrid and then visit highlights of the city which is the capital of Spain, including the Gran Via Plaza de España, the Viaduct, Plaza Major, the Bull Ring, Independence and Cibeles Squares, the University, and the Paseo de la Castellana. In the afternoon, we will visit artistic Madrid, including the Gate of Alcala, Retiro Park, the Puerta del Sol, the Royal Palace, and the famous Prado Museum. Continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 11 - RETURN TO USA - Travel back to Lisbon for our flight home filled with the Holy Spirit
Day 1 - TRAVEL TO PORTUGAL - After a departure Mass all are welcome to attend, we will head to Toronto for our flight to Lisbon, Portugal.
Days 2-6 - LISBON/FATIMA - site-seeing, World Youth Day activities, and a special pilgrimage to Fatima one day. The day we travel to Fatima we will visit the Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. We will join the English language concelebrated Mass at the Chapel of Apparitions before a break for lunch on our own. We will then visit the birthplaces of Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia, the Loca de Anjo and the Holy Way.
Day 7 - WYD OVERNIGHT VIGIL with Pope Francis. All pilgrims journey on foot about 10 miles to the Vigil site and spend the night there. The evening consists of Adoration and prayer.
Day 8 - WYD CLOSING MASS with Pope, journey back to the hotel for the night
Day 9 - AVILA - Drive east into Spain and in early afternoon arrive in the charming village of Avila, the birthplace of St. Teresa of Jesus, (1515-1582), one of the Church's greatest and most influential mystics. Following lunch on our own we will visit the Cathedral and the Convent of the Incarnation, where St. Teresa lived for three decades and St. John of the Cross, her spiritual director and confessor lived for the last two years of her life. Dinner and overnight at our hotel near here.
Day 10 - MADRID - Early this morning, we drive to Madrid where we begin our touring at the famous Cathedral of Madrid and then visit highlights of the city which is the capital of Spain, including the Gran Via Plaza de España, the Viaduct, Plaza Major, the Bull Ring, Independence and Cibeles Squares, the University, and the Paseo de la Castellana. In the afternoon, we will visit artistic Madrid, including the Gate of Alcala, Retiro Park, the Puerta del Sol, the Royal Palace, and the famous Prado Museum. Continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 11 - RETURN TO USA - Travel back to Lisbon for our flight home filled with the Holy Spirit
WHAT COMPANY IS OLSH TRAVELING WITH?
We are partnering with Unitours, which is a well-respected Catholic pilgrimage tour company with offices around the world. They have been in business since 1957 and are very experienced with both Lisbon, where they regularly run pilgrimages, as well as World Youth Day. Once registration is open, pilgrims will join our group directly through a website they provide. You can learn more about Unitours at their website.
WHAT IS THE INVESTMENT FOR EACH PILGRIM?
A journey of this kind requires both a spiritual and financial investment and requires the support of many through prayers and contributions. Until the official specific dates are released, we do not have a final price however our estimated total cost is $4500. Before signing up, you will know the final amount. Most meals are included, however you will need to plan for spending money and some lunches on your own. A $500 deposit will be required to hold your spot. After that, we will plan fundraisers to reduce future payments. The reason it is so important to commit early is so you can join us for both spiritual preparation experiences, as well as assist with group fundraising events which will bring the cost down significantly. When spread over multiple payments, we hope to make this possible for any young people who feel called to go. If you are interested in sponsoring a pilgrim or a group meal while we are in Europe, or contributing to our WYD fund which will be shared across the group, please fill out the form on the bottom of this page.
WHO CAN ATTEND?
The pilgrimage is open to anyone who will be age 18 to 39 at time of departure. While we consider "youth" in the United States to refer to high school, internationally the term "youth" encompasses young adults. World Youth Day is particularly geared toward those 18-30s. Please consider the physical demands of the trip - walking up to 10 miles many days, being in large crowds, sometimes not having immediate access to restrooms, etc. We will work to both physically and spiritually prepare as a group. We currently have enough adult chaperones; however if any parents would like to attend with their teenage child(ren), we would allow that.
Other parishes from the Diocese of Buffalo are welcome to travel with us; however they would need to provide their own chaperones and manage their own fundraising. Please fill out the info form below to be contacted if you are interested in learning more or have questions.
Other parishes from the Diocese of Buffalo are welcome to travel with us; however they would need to provide their own chaperones and manage their own fundraising. Please fill out the info form below to be contacted if you are interested in learning more or have questions.
WHEN/HOW DO I SIGN UP?
Fill out the interest form below to be notified of information sessions and updates. No one can officially register as a pilgrim until the dates are released, which we anticipate to be sometime soon. We encourage people to commit by the end of September 2021, when we will begin fundraising. We will be able to accept pilgrims after that point though they will be responsible for the difference in any fundraising they didn't participate in. If you commit EARLY you know where you will be and will work other commitments around this trip. Travel insurance helps protect against unforeseeable circumstances.
