World Youth Day USA Guides International Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 62

Alternative events for young people ages 17

notebook for their staff members and

and under include the National Catholic Youth

volunteers that includes all of the important

Conference (www.ncyc.info), the annual

details for each day of the pilgrimage as well as

Steubenville Youth Conferences

pilgrim rosters, rooming lists, and medical

(http://steubenvilleconferences.com/youth/),

information for each pilgrim (be sure to keep

the Notre Dame Vision Youth Conferences

confidentiality of medical information). This is

(https://vision.nd.edu/Welcome_to_Notre_Da

a great way for the your staff and volunteer

me_Vision/Youth_Conference.html) and

leaders to be on the same page and have critical

national and local youth conferences hosted by

information shared in case you or another team

parishes, dioceses, and apostolic movements.

member is unavailable. For example, on flight
days the notebook might contain a timeline for

In addition, local communities can develop

the day, prayers for departing pilgrims, flight

stateside World Youth Day activities aimed

numbers, reservation numbers, aircraft layouts,

directly at high school youth – to give these

and airport terminal maps – basically anything

young people an opportunity to witness and

that could help you during that phase of the

experience World Youth Day-like events in

pilgrimage. On a day during the World Youth

their local diocese or parish community. A list

Day week, the notebook might contain the

of the stateside gatherings can be found at the

official schedule, accommodation info, festival

WYDUSA official website, www.wydusa.org.

options, a map, prayers, lists of the pilgrims,
and daily team tasks and contact information.

Research, Research, Research
As mentioned before, leaders should do

Leadership Team

extensive research on the pilgrimage travel,

Principle pilgrim leaders should consider

stops, lodging site(s) and the venues. The

bringing at least one other person on the

Internet and sites like Google Maps have made

pilgrimage (a volunteer leader, a fellow staff

this much easier than in the past. As you do

member, etc.) to act as co-leader or “staff,” and

your research, save pertinent websites and

assist them by covering all or a portion of their

downloadable information.

travel costs. Many travel companies will build in
complimentary registrations for leaders so that

If you are working with a travel company, be in

pilgrims all pay a fair share of the costs for the

frequent contact with them as trip details firm

necessary leadership on the trip. Co-leaders and

up. Some group leaders put together a

staff will need to be one of the first ones to rise
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