pilgrims have to trade. These trades are done informally throughout the week, en route to events, on the pilgrimage walk, or while waiting for events to begin. Trading is optional; pilgrims should not worry if they do not have anything to trade. If pilgrims would like to trade things that represent the Roman Catholic experience in the U. S., the WYDUSA office( www. wydusa. org) provides some items for purchase in advance of WYD. These include WYDUSA clothing, backpacks, blankets, water bottles, prayer cards, and posters. The USCCB Store has many other items that might be good trade items as well.
Three Opportunities to Never Pass Up There are three practical opportunities that leaders and their pilgrim groups should never pass up on a World Youth Day pilgrimage:
1. Refill the water bottle( whenever you see a public tap. It’ s free and safe to drink!)
2. Eat something( from pilgrim pack meals or at local restaurants or vendors), and
3. Use the toilet( at portable toilets, public restrooms, or at your lodging).
Pilgrim groups should take advantage of these three key opportunities when they arise, because it is not always certain that another chance will come anytime soon.
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ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES Leading a WYD pilgrimage is a great experience, but it can be intimidating when you realize the awesome responsibility on your shoulders. A good pilgrimage leader assists his or her pilgrims throughout the pilgrimage experience and also in their continued formation as a disciple of Christ afterward.
The pilgrimage leader is a spiritual companion, tour guide, meeting planner, and risk manager all rolled up into one. This leader’ s guide includes both the spiritual and practical elements that go into pilgrimage leadership. Balancing these elements is a challenge, but one that Lord has trusted you to embrace. What follows are some additional strategies for you in your own leadership experience of a group.
Tour Companies or Do-It-Yourself Organizing a WYD pilgrimage is a major undertaking and the amount of work can be daunting. Many larger pilgrim groups in the U. S.( such as dioceses, eparchies, movements, or clusters of parishes) hire a specialized travel company to take care of many of the details. Another advantage of hiring a travel company is that the company is there to assist you not only in advance, but on the ground. Before securing a particular organization or travel