World Youth Day USA Guides Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 22
Evangelizing Service
Church to deepen this discipleship, and to
When a pilgrim experiences the witness of
follow the Gospel. Those who are baptized as
compassion and acceptance, this often leads
infants have this choice made for them.
to a desire to do the same for another person.
The mercy and healing experienced in Christ
The people participating in the stateside
strengthens both the pilgrim and the leader to
World Youth Day pilgrimage have chosen to
evangelize and serve. As the Holy Father said,
be there. Therefore, the opportunity is ripe
“Our personal experience of being
for these young men and women to deepen
accompanied and assisted, and of openness to
their lives as disciples of Christ Jesus, making
those who accompany us, will teach us to be
their personal choice to do so in response to
patient and compassionate with others, and to
their encounter with the Lord and others who
find the right way to gain their trust, their
are witnessing Christ to them.
openness and their readiness to grow.”20
Effective ministry leaders witness this
From its start, the international World Youth
discipleship in all that is said and done on the
Day has offered participants an opportunity
pilgrimage journey – from simple email
to be evangelized and to evangelize. This is no
communication and announcements prior to
different for the stateside World Youth Day
and during the event to answering the same
pilgrimages. Leaders and pilgrims embark on
question from the pilgrims for the fiftieth
the journey with the hope that they will have a
time. It is a service to the pilgrims, one that is
deeper encounter with Jesus Christ and
freely given for the sake of Christ and the call
others. Often they experience personal
to serve those he has placed before us.
transformation, reconciliation, and renewed
The experience of pilgrimage and the
life in Christ. This cannot be kept to oneself.
encounter with the pilgrims and others will
The leader and pilgrims accompanying one
also help the leader grow as a disciple. A
another are “missionary disciples”; they are
service that all can give to each other on
both followers of Christ (disciples) and sent
pilgrimage is living discipleship in a full and
by him (missionary). In baptism, we become
intense way, witnessing through word and
disciples, followers of Christ, and Christians
especially deeds the joy found in life in Christ.
accompanying one another in and through the
20
Evangelii Gaudium, 172.
20