World Youth Day 2019 USA Leader Guides International Leader Guide | Page 25

4. Be proud of your heritage of mercy in the United States; Ven. Fr. Michael
as a pilgrim from the United States. McGivney, founder of the Knights of
Columbus; and Ven. Fr. Augustus Tolton, a
When participating in WYD, pilgrims will not former slave who became the first recognized
only be representing their parish, campus, black Catholic priest in the United States.
diocese/eparchy, or ecclesial movement; they
will also be representing their country. There is Another ideal for the United States is unity
a balance to be struck between national pride amidst diversity. A nation of immigrants from
and international openness. On one extreme, the very beginning, the United States has had to
some U.S. pilgrims can exhibit an excessive wrestle with how to be one country while being
pride that risks alienating those from other made up of people from a plurality of
nations. On the other extreme, some may try to backgrounds and cultures. While the history of
avoid identifying as American altogether. Both intercultural and interracial relationships in the
extremes should be avoided and this can be U.S. is imperfect and the sins of racism and
discussed in advance of the pilgrimage. prejudice still exist, the goal of peaceful unity is
written into the nation’s foundational
It is key for pilgrims from the United States documents and the national motto “E pluribus
to understand is that theirs is a rich unum,” that is “out of many, one”. This desire
heritage that is worth i dentifying with, for national unity and peace fueled the work of
celebrating, and humbly sharing at WYD. the suffragette Susan B. Anthony and
abolitionist Frederick Douglass. These core
Explorers, pioneers, revolutionaries, and principles were used for civil and workers’
trailblazers reside at the beginning of the rights as championed by Rosa Parks, the Selma
American story and sustain it today. In the marchers and freedom riders of the 1960s, Rev.
Church, we celebrate the pioneers of faith in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez.
North America like St. Kateri Tekakwitha, an
Algonquin-Mohawk woman who boldly Many hope that the United States can be a land
converted to Roman Catholicism despite tribal of mercy, compassion, and refuge for the
objections and persecution; St. John Neumann, oppressed. Engraved on the pedestal of the
C.Ss.R., founder of the Catholic school system Statue of Liberty is a gentle invitation to those
who emigrate to the U.S.: “Give me your tired,
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