For this year’s festivities, The Catholic Diocese of Dallas Bishop, Edward J. Burns acted the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) WYD liaison. There are approximately 1,000 plus pilgrims from the Diocese of Dallas.  Sixty bishops came to Lisbon from the U.S., and more than 35 serve as lead bishops, including our very own Bishop Burns, for daily catechetical sessions called “Rise Up!”

“World Youth Day is without a doubt a gift, a gift from God inspired by the Holy Spirit through St. John Paul II, and it has been a gift that just continues to give to the church,” Bishop Burns told OSV News. “One of the things I learned when I was working at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is that of all the men who are ordained every year to the priesthood, 35%-38% of them went to World Youth Day. This is such an inspirational moment.”

World Youth Day was established by Pope John Paul II in 1985. The gathering has attracted hundreds of thousands of young people and every three years is held on a different continent. Lisbon is the Portuguese capital and home to more than half a million people. Lisbon is also more than an hour away from Fatima, a world-famous Marian pilgrimage site. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported these pilgrims and helped make it possible for so many young people to grow in their faith through this experience.