World Youth Day 2023 took place from 1st to the 6th August in Lisbon, gathering young Catholics from all over the world with the blessing of Pope Francis for a week of prayer and celebration. The Joe Walsh Tours teams in Dublin and Portugal were delighted to organise travel arrangements and guide various groups of young pilgrims and their leaders as they took part in these special events.
World Youth Day started at Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon with an opening mass and official start of the event. Three busy days of activities for the young followed, including the Welcome Ceremony and Way of the Cross with Pope Francis but also the Youth Festival, Rise Up Encounters and City of Joy.
On Saturday morning Pope Francis visited the Sanctuary of Fatima, where he attended the Rosary Mass at the Capelinha.
That afternoon, a million and a half young pilgrims walked to Campo da Graca to attend the Vigil with the Young, an evening vigil with Pope Francis.
“It was the best I ever experienced,” says Joe Walsh Tours representative Elsa Silva “The amount of youth and adults praying together, united in the love of Jesus. What touched me the most was the Sending Mass and final blessing in front of Our Lady of Fatima, presided by the Holy Father Pope Francis, brought from the chapel of Apparitions specially for the closing of World Youth Day’.
At the closing Mass for World Youth Day 2023 Lisbon, Pope Francis announced the next World Youth Day gathering will take place in Seoul in 2027, the first time the event returns to Asia in over 30 years.
The Joe Walsh Tours team would like to thank all our fantastic group leaders and young pilgrims participating in World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon including:
DIOCESE OF RAPHOE with Bishop Alan McGuckian and group leader Fr Liam Boyle
DIOCESE OF CASHEL AND EMLY with tour leader Fr Dominic Meehan
DIOCESE OF ELPHIN with Bishop Kevin Doran and tour organiser Sheena Darcy
DIOCESE OF GALWAY AND CLONFERT with Bishop Michael Duignan and tour organiser Fr Declan Lohan
DIOCESE OF LIMERICK with Bishop Brendan Leahy and tour organiser James Connery
DIOCESE OF CORK AND ROSS with Bishop Fintan Gavin and tour organiser Fr Marius O’Reilly
DIOCESE OF KERRY with tour organisers Tomas Kenny and Kathy Ann Reddan
DIOCESE OF WATERFORD AND LISMORE with Bishop Phonsie Cullinan and tour organiser Sr Kathryn Press
Talk to the Joe Walsh Tours travel experts to organise a pilgrimage to the next World Youth Day for your youth group.
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