What Is It?
World Youth Day comes from an initiative of the late Pope John Paul II. He extended an invitation to the young people of the world to bring them together to celebrate being young and being alive. Not surprisingly, it was young Catholics who responded the most enthusiastically and turned up literally in the millions! So, now, every two to three years a city hosts World Youth Day (which is really more like a week!) and the Pope himself turns up too!

Who is it for?
World Youth Day is open to young Catholic adults up to 30 years of age, but anyone is welcome to join in and be part of the experience.

What happens?
The whole week leading up to the actual day is all part of it. The hosting city becomes a large festival with music and events of all kinds and some of the most fully crammed public transport you will ever see! All of the young people can travel about the city, explore, attend catechesis, mix and mingle with every nationality under the sun and exchange T-shirts, pins, flags and travel stories.

The Saturday before WYD itself, all of the young people make their way to one large open space and celebrate together. It is truly amazing to see so many hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world, camping out under the stars. A vigil takes place and then the next day; World Youth Day, Mass is celebrated with the Pope.

Where Is It?  Sydney 2008
In Cologne at the end of the last World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI invited the young people of the world to join him in Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day, 2008. So, pack your ‘flip flops’ and get ready to head down under for the very first World Youth Day in the Southern Hemisphere! You might even get to see New Zealand at the same time!