World Youth Day 2019 USA Leader Guides Stateside Leader Guide | Page 53

World Youth Day Follow-Up:
Connecting Stateside and International Pilgrims
The effects of a pilgrimage will be felt for local WYD pilgrimage experience. Here are a
some time after the journey is over. You few pilgrim takeaways that can serve as
should help participants engage in a type of indicators of a successful and fruitful event.
“mystagogica l” reflection on the journey.
(Mystagogy is reflecting on the spiritual The Call to be Catholic
meaning of a sacred moment, like the Part of being Catholic is recognizing that you
formation that occurs following the are a part of something bigger than yourself.
Sacraments of Initiation). To be able to trace our origins back to Jesus
Christ, the Twelve Apostles and original
It is also important to seek ways to build up disciples, and to see the vast history and
relationships between stateside and people of faith can be a humbling and exciting
international pilgrims. experience. WYD is a great moment to
experience that reality of being Catholic.
Consider what took place following the
experience of the Transfiguration: the saving Being part of a stateside experience can help
mystery of the Passion, Death, and remind a local pilgrim that he or she is a part
Resurrection of the Lord was yet to come, of a universal (catholic) Church and that our
followed by the Lord’s Glorious Ascension God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, calls all
and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at people to a deeper connection and
Pentecost. The same goes for WYD pilgrims: communion with him and others precisely
as Jesus accompanied the disciples from through his Church. Just as the stateside
Mount Tabor to Jerusalem, so too must pilgrim experienced an encounter locally,
stateside leaders accompany the participants millions of other youth and young adults were
after WYD and help them to be integrated experiencing an encounter with Christ in
into the life and mission of the Church. Panama and around the world.
Try to plan beyond the end of the event from A successful stateside gathering will open the
the very beginning. Consider what take-aways eyes of local pilgrims to the vastness of the
you desire for the stateside pilgrims after their Church, and the joy and excitement of
52