World Youth Day USA Guides Stateside Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 63

GATHERING TOGETHER

Similarities and Differences

One of the most important things to do after

We begin by looking at the similarities and

World Youth Day is to gather together those

differences of the stateside experience

who traveled internationally with those who

compared to the international one. If you are

celebrated stateside. The one who travels

going to have stateside pilgrims in dialogue

overseas does not have a superior experience,

with those who went abroad, it is important

just a different one, albeit an exceptional one

to know what aspects of their respective

as a pilgrim to the event itself.

experiences they can actually talk about in a
meaningful way.

Consider the analogy of the Super Bowl.
Many people across the United States to

More spiritual than physical

watch the game – most through television and

While the stateside pilgrim travels less (to get

social media; a much smaller percentage

to the gathering or journeying locally) than

attend the game in person. Yet very few, if

those who go overseas, the experience of

any, people who go to a Super Bowl party feel

pilgrimage is about the spirit of the journey,

inferior to those with tickets to the big game.

not simply the physical process of going from

Their experiences are simply different.

one place to another. Though the physical
aspect is vitally important – and this speaks to

The same can go for World Youth Day. The

the uniqueness of the international WYD

analogy is not perfect, given that the

experience and other physical pilgrimages –

international World Youth Day is a very

the way that one understands the need for

particular form of spiritual pilgrimage that

moving spiritually and mentally during this

covers several days, and the experiences there

process is critical. When prepared well, a

are indeed special and unique; likewise,

World Youth Day pilgrim should know that

stateside celebrations are not only about

the physical goals are just markers for interior

watching events unfold on a television or

goals. The movement of one’s mindset from

mobile device screen, but making an

one state-of-being to another; the movement

intentional journey on a local level in

of one’s self to becoming a part of the larger

solidarity with the Universal Church.

community; the movement of one’s heart

Nonetheless, it can be a basic analogy that

from one way of seeing God to another way.

conveys the distinctiveness of the experiences

This movement is an essential part of any

rather than comparing them to each other.

pilgrimage experience, whether one travels 2,
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