World Youth Day: My Experience

The best moment of World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland was witnessing Pope Francis kissing the forehead of a baby girl. Seeing this happen gave my whole body chills and it produced many tears in the peoples’ eyes. The baby looked so happy while being handed back to her father, it was truly inspiring. Soon after, I had crossed paths with the baby and her family and this made me feel a way that ...

This was the biggest stage I have ever witnessed. My group wasn't stationed that close to the stage, but we still felt Pope Francis's presence. This huge white stage was used for the gathering of the Pope, Cardinals, and Bishops from all around the world. There were also dancing performances from various cultures and countries. You couldn't miss that stage from a mile away, it was the most vibrant...

I had the opportunity to attend World Youth Day with a youth group from ŚW. Jana Pawła II Church in Nowy Targ, Poland. Yes, this group was from Poland so I couldn’t interact very well with them, but I had my cousins who helped translate and made the experience ten times better. After witnessing what we all witnessed, I felt like we all grew strong bonds, and felt almost like family. This group w...

World Youth Day was also one of the most colorful experiences for me. I have never seen so many flags gathered in one area, all for the same reason. Over 187 countries were present and all chanting in their native languages and representing their country. I saw countries I couldn't even pronounce. It felt so warming to know that all these 187 countries came together for one reason, one belief,...

This picture was a level of amazement that I have never experienced before. We had a designated photographer in our group who captured the best moments of WYD and amazed us in so many ways. If I were to pick the best photo from all week, this would be the one. The fact that Pope Francis is looking directly or generally into the photographer’s eyes leaves us stunned at this beauty. Looking at it right n...

The sunset really made this picture for me. Right before Pope Francis arrived at the stage, it was cloudy and raining. The field was filled with rain ponchos, and as soon as the Pope presented himself on that stage, the clouds parted. It was magical. There came the sun poking through the clouds and ponchos began to come off. This picture really captured a special moment for me because of the Pope,...