On Thursday 4 August, the Archdiocese of Melbourne hosted a Winter Fiesta on the grounds of St Patrick’s Cathedral—an opportunity to shake off the winter chills and enjoy the company of Catholics from across the Archdiocese with live music and delicious food. The event also launched the Archdiocese’s pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2023, this time in Portugal.

Join us on pilgrimage in 2023.
Archbishop Peter has set a huge target for Melbourne…500 young people on pilgrimage together in 2023 to participate in the largest youth gathering in the world — World Youth Day 2023! For more than 30 years, World Youth Day has been an opportunity for the young people of the world to go on pilgrimage. Join us as we share this journey, and discover how Jesus calls each of us to be his disciple. Through our experiences together, we will be strengthened in faith and return to Melbourne ready to share our encounter with the local Church. REGISTER NOW
As part of the launch, members of the Discipleship team shared the three pathways or pilgrimage routes that are available for the World Youth Day experience in 2023.The exact dates and costs for all the World Youth Day 2023 pilgrimage pathways will be confirmed in 2023.
Direct to Lisbon
The first pathway is ‘Direct to Lisbon’, the simplest option, involving a journey of approximately 14 days, centred on the World Youth Day week. Through the experiences shared together in Portugal, the pilgrims will be strengthened in faith and able to return to Melbourne to share their encounters with the local Church.
Italian road trip
The second pathway is an ‘Italian road trip’, an immersion into the eternal city of Rome that will allow pilgrims to walk the same streets walked by the great saints before us, and to visit the tombs of St Peter and St Paul. This pilgrimage will be a ‘prelude’ to the World Youth Day week, and will cover Rome, Assisi and Siena before heading to Portugal for World Youth Day. The journey will last approximately 20 days.
Footsteps of Jesus
The third pathway leads pilgrims in the ‘Footsteps of Jesus’, taking them through the Holy Land to visit some of Christianity’s most sacred and historic sites. This pathway will immerse pilgrims in the story of salvation, allowing the Scriptures to come alive in a unique and unforgettable way, as pilgrims visit locations such as Bethlehem, Jericho, Galilee, Nazareth, the Mount of Beatitudes, Jerusalem and so much more. This journey through the Holy Land will be followed by the World Youth Day week in Lisbon.
This pathway is only available for those aged 18 and over, and it will last for approximately 22 days.

If you would like more information about World Youth Day 2023, or if you would like to register your interest, please visit udisciple.melbournecatholic.org/wyd.

 

10 Reasons to participate in WYD Lisbon 2023
1.	Being with the Pope - Can you imagine spending a few days near the Pope?
2.	Meet young people from around the world. Lisbon will welcome young people from all continents, and you can be one of them!
3.	Be part of a unique pilgrimage. Going on a pilgrimage can be a great way to pray with your body!
4.	Experience the true joy of being a Christian. The positive energy of WYD has no equal! People sing and dance all over the city. The atmosphere is amazing, cheerful, welcoming. What are you waiting for?
5.	Create memories in this unique event. Dream big, allow yourself to be contagious and let the experiences you live on the Journey not close in the drawer of the past, but overflow into the present and the future!
6.	Witnessing the faith of different cultures. WYD is a disruptive time when we show the world that the Church is alive! WYD is not just for pilgrims. It involves the entire city that welcomes it, the entire community! Lisbon is getting ready to welcome you and your friends.
7.	Charge batteries in your relationship with God. We heard someone say, “this week is an oasis in my year”, a time to reconnect with God.
8.	Learning to serve and love. “We are 1, we are 2, we are 3, we are millions, all together singing, long live the Pope! Between singing at the top of your lungs and long pilgrimages through Lisbon, needs will arise. Keep one eye on others and their needs. – thirst, hunger, heat – and take the opportunity to discover opportunities to serve and love.
9.	Improve the future together. WYD is a privileged moment to look to the future together.
10.	Make important decisions. You know what? The Journey is such a special event that it makes us realize that we are not alone. We hope that this awareness, combined with experience, will fill you with the courage to make important decisions, the ones that make you dizzy!