This pilgrimage is for the Diocese of Gary, Indiana.
If you are from outside of the Diocese of Gary,
the official website for World Youth Day 2023 can be found here.
The Diocese of Gary Office for Youth & Young Adults is coordinating a pilgrimage to Lisbon for the next World Youth Day, held in the summer of 2023. Join Bishop McClory and other young people from the Diocese of Gary as they embark on a pilgrimage to Lisbon and Fatima. Journey to where the Miracle of the Sun took place, be inspired by the joy and faith of other young Catholics from all over the world, and join Pope Francis as the Church celebrates the gifts of young people!
WYD Dates: Leave Friday, July 28 and arrive back in NWI on Monday, August 7
Location: WYD will take place in Lisbon, Portugal. We will also spend time in Santarem and Fatima. The itinerary for the pilgrimage can be found here.
Age: The minimum age for pilgrims is 16 at the time of the pilgrimage. Youth under 18 and still in high school must be under the guidance of a guardian. Young adults are especially invited. While in the U.S. “youth” is often associated with adolescents, it is more commonly used to identify college/20-somethings internationally. The target age for WYD internationally is 18-35.
Estimated cost: Our pilgrimage package will cost $4000 per person. Our package includes:
- Roundtrip Airfare
- Roundtrip airport transportation to Lisbon
- 2 night in Fatima Area
- Visit to Santarem
- 7 nights at in Lisbon
- Breakfast daily at hotel
- Hotel taxes
- Panoramic City Tour of Lisbon
- Farewell dinner
- WYD Registration
- Services of Dube & Aliantour staff and guides (These are our travel agents we will be working with).
Payment Schedule
| September 8, 2022 | $300 (non-refundable) |
| October 1, 2022 | $400 |
| December 1, 2022 | $400 |
| February 1, 2023 | $400 |
| April 1, 2023 | $400 |
| May, 1 2023 | $400 |
| June 1, 2023 | $1700 (balance) |
The pilgrimage package does include some meals (there is a very basic meal plan with the pilgrimage package), but not all. It also does not include items such as tips for hotel staff or tour guides, souvenirs, additional travel expenses such as Ubers while in Portugal, and other miscellaneous expenses.
There is also an option to purchase travel insurance which we are highly recommending, especially because of Covid. Prices for travel insurance will vary depending on age and plan selected (Typically ranging from $160-$300+ depending on age and plan). Contact Vicky for more information. Travel insurance covers health issues that might arise but also travel issues, such as disruption in flight due to environmental reasons.
Questions about Covid:
- Are vaccines required?
- At this time, vaccines are not required to attend World Youth Day or travel to Portugal. Local businesses have the right to require masks or vaccines to enter their places of businesses.
- With the every changing nature of Covid, this policy could change. If it does, we will inform participants.
- Should I get vaccinated?
- While we will not ask for proof of vaccination unless it is requested by the organizers, it is the OYYA’s recommendation that all participants get vaccinated if they are able to do so.
- Why? Because we don’t want you stuck in the hotel room with Covid while on our pilgrimage! It’s one more way of protecting you and your fellow pilgrims while traveling.
- Should I get travel insurance?
- We recommend you purchase travel insurance just in case you need it. If you contract Covid while on the pilgrimage, travel insurance will cover your healthcare while there, and if for some reason, you are sick and have to extend your stay, travel insurance can help with that as well.
How do I sign up?
- Reach out to Vicky Hathaway at [email protected] or call 219-769-9292 ext. 229 to see if there are still spots available!
If I have more questions, what should I do? Contact Vicky at the Office for Youth and Young Adult. She is happy to help!
Here is the link to the recording explaining the pilgrimage. Learn a little bit about the history of World Youth Day, what to expect during the pilgrimage, and all about the host city, Lisbon, Portugal.
USCCB WYD Website: wydusa.org
Official social media sites (English)
If you weren't able to join us for our information night, fear not!
Here's the recording of the webinar.
“World Youth Day has helped me see strangers through the eyes of love. I have encountered so many people, and with each one, God reminds me that He is deeply in love with each of us. It’s humbling for me to see that I am so loved by the One who loves so many.”
“Life is unpredictable. You can plan, but at times those plans are not what God has in store for you. Strengthening your trust and faith in God is what I have taken away from this pilgrimage, and will continue to do.”
“Pilgrimages…and a multitude of other experiences make Catholicism a beautiful and wild patchwork quilt of encounters with the power of the Divine Presence, mysteriously embedded in the complexity of the human experience. Young people are unfailingly transformed through their participation in World Youth Days because they fundamentally grasp this truth on a very deep level. Many married couples, singles, priests and religious discovered their vocations because of WYD!”
“There was a real transformation that took place in both our teens and adults.”