World Youth Day has a way of changing people. Not because of the destination, the crowds or even the celebrations, but because of the journey. 

Last Tuesday night, almost 100 young people came together to learn about our diocesan pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2027 in South Korea. For many, it marked the beginning of a journey that will see them grow in faith, build new friendships and encounter the universal Church in a powerful way. 

We’re not yet asking young people to make a final commitment, instead we are simply inviting them to consider the possibility and to be open to where God might be calling them through this experience. 

Looking towards South Korea

Right now, we are at the beginning of the journey. There is excitement in the air, plans beginning to take shape and countless possibilities ahead. While World Youth Day 2027 may still seem a long way off, the pilgrimage has already begun. 

Our hope is that those who join the journey will return with more than photos, souvenirs and memories of an incredible experience, although those things certainly matter. We hope they come home having encountered Christ more deeply. We hope they form friendships that endure long after the pilgrimage ends. We hope they discover the beauty of belonging to a Church that spans every nation, culture and language, from every corner of the world.

The heart of the journey

Ultimately, our measure of the pilgrimage’s success is quite simple. When our young people return home, we hope they can answer “yes” to two important questions: 

Did I grow closer to Jesus? 

Did I grow closer to my fellow pilgrims and to the Church community? 

If the answer is yes, then World Youth Day 2027 will have achieved exactly what it is intended to achieve. 

So, what happens next?  

Expressions of interest

Over the coming months, our pilgrims will discern the opportunity before them and make their expression of interest. By November registration will formally open with an $800 non-refundable deposit and then the journey really locks-in. Local fundraising begins and by April next year the expected 60-70 pilgrims are gathering for formation and community building. Long before they arrive in South Korea, they will already be travelling together, growing in faith and building the relationships that will sustain them throughout the pilgrimage. 

For now, though, this is the beginning. The first step of a remarkable journey. And if past World Youth Days have taught us anything, it is that God often does some of his best work between the first step and the journey home.