Chicago, IL (May 4, 2016) – The Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocese of Chicago is organizing a day of reflection and preparation for all Chicago area pilgrims that will travel to Kraków, Poland, for World Youth Day 2016 with Pope Francis, as well as those who are helping prepare the Chicago WYD Celebration. The gathering will take place in the Gymnasium of St. Helen Parish, 2327 West Augusta Boulevard in Chicago, on Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m. Sr. Eileen McCann, CSJ, former coordinator for Youth and Young Adults for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be the presenter.
During the gathering, two different sessions will focus on “Pilgrims on the Journey” and “St. John Paul II.” Th e first session will explore the communities the pilgrims come from, the WYD Community theyare forming and how this pilgrimage can change them to transform their future communities. The second session will look at the man who began WYD and how he responded to his Baptismal call as a pilgrim. Together the WYD pilgrims will explore St. John Paul II’s life, his challenges and his invitations to young people to be agents of change.
The local WYD celebration is set to take place at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 1170 North River Road in Des Plaines, from Saturday, July 30, to Sunday, July 31. More information is available at www.wydchicago.org.
The Young Adult Ministry Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago, in collaboration with Faith Journeys LLC, is leading an official pilgrimage of young adults to Kraków, Poland, for WYD 2016. Over 110 pilgrims have signed up to travel with this group. World Youth Day is the largest
gathering of young adult Catholics in the world and only happens every two or three years. The 2016 WYD will take place from July 25 until August 1. Participants will spend time in prayer and reflection, as well as visiting historical landmarks in and around the city of Kraków.
More information and registration for the WYD 2016 Pilgrims Gathering can be found at www.yamchicago.org. The event is free and open to all young adults participating in WYD locally and internationally.
About the Archdiocese
The Archdiocese of Chicago, the third largest in the United States, serves more than 2.2 million Catholics in 353 parishes in Illinois’ Cook and Lake Counties, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese, pastored by Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, has more than 15,000 employees in its agencies and ministries, including Catholic Charities, the region’s largest nonprofit social service agency, one of the country’s largest seminaries and the country’s largest private
cemetery system. The Archdiocese’s 230 elementary and secondary schools comprise the largest U.S. private school system and have garnered more .S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Awards than any system of any type.