World Youth Day

Theme for WYD’11 “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith”(Col. 2:7)

In 1984 Pope John Paul II invited young people to a special gathering on Palm Sunday in Rome. Three hundred thousand young people attended this Youth Jubilee. In 1985 – the United Nations International Year of Youth – Pope John Paul II extended a second invitation to young people.

This time 450,000 attended this second international youth gathering held on Palm Sunday in Rome. These events in 1984 and 1985 inspired the Pope to create World Youth Day (WYD) to be celebrated at diocesan level every year on Palm Sunday and on an international level every two to three years.

It’s much more than a day – usually up to two weeks. This brings together young Catholics from around the world to celebrate their faith and learn more about it – it’s an encounter of the young people of the world with the Pope and the Christian community of the host country.

Recently international World Youth Days have been held in Toronto, Cologne and Sydney.

Check out the website for World Youth Day 2011 which will take place in Madrid.

You can also link in with other Irish groups and individuals interested in WYD by joining the group on  Facebook

Finally you can find out more about the work of the ADYC on Facebook