WYD 

Papal biographer George Weigel tells a story about meeting with Pope John Paul II in December 2004. The pope was quite ill with the Parkinson’s Disease that would claim his life just a few months later, but he was still alert and happy to share a meal with his friend, who presented him with a Christmas present of a large photo album of the National Parks of the United States. The pope immediately turned to the section featuring Rocky Mountain National Park and said: “Hmm. Rocky Mountain National Park. Hmm. Denver. World Youth Day. 1993. Hmm. Bishops of America said it couldn’t be done. I… proved… them… wrong!”  

He did so with the help of Archbishop Francis Stafford of Denver, who was eager to host the event. Although his very secular city seemed an unlikely destination for a Catholic pilgrimage, Stafford saw World Youth Day (WYD) as a great opportunity to revitalize the faith of the Church in his Archdiocese and throughout the country. In the end, WYD Denver was a huge success.  Over 700,000 young people made the journey to Denver to see the Pope.  On the first evening of the event, when John Paul dramatically arrived by helicopter to a Mile-High Stadium packed with young pilgrims, the pilot had to take extra care, for the roar of the crowd below had created an unexpected wave of turbulence. 

Pope John Paul did not disappoint them. Over the course of the weekend, he spoke to their deepest desires to live heroic lives of purpose and meaning.  John Paul II always spoke of Christian discipleship as a life of high adventure. He never shied away from calling young people to great sanctity, and his words reflected his confidence that, given the opportunity, they would rise to the challenge. At the closing Mass, he reminded them that, “Jesus went in search of the men and women of his time. He engaged them in an open and truthful dialogue, whatever their condition… He came close to people to heal them of their sins and of the wounds which life inflicts, and to bring them back to the Father’s house.” Then he exhorted the young people gathered to imitate the Master: “Go, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to those who are near and those who are far away. Share with them the freedom you have found in Christ.” He encouraged them not to neglect their own vital role in Christ’s mission: “People thirst for genuine inner freedom. They yearn for the Life which Christ came to give in abundance. The world is like a field ready for the harvest. Christ needs laborers ready to work in his vineyard. May you, the Catholic young people of the world, not fail him. In your hands, carry the Cross of Christ. On your lips, the words of Life. In your hearts, the saving grace of the Lord.” 

St. John Paul II’s visit to Denver was followed with a burst of renewal in the American Church.  A significant number of priests and religious who were teenagers or young adults at the time attribute their vocation to the pope’s visit in 1993. Many lay movements have sprung up, especially in Denver, in subsequent years. Thirty years later, Pope Francis continues the legacy of St. John Paul II, welcoming hundreds of thousands of pilgrims this weekend to Lisbon, Portugal for World Youth Day 2023.  May they be inspired by the words and witness of the Holy Father to answer the call to holiness, as so many young people were by his saintly predecessor three decades ago. 

posted 8/5/23