World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023 starts today, while the Pilgrimage of Symbols and the Days in Dioceses, experiences that left their mark on many Portuguese young people and families are still fresh in the memory.

The tour of the WYD Symbols through the 21 dioceses and many parishes across the country generated great enthusiasm among the Portuguese. In mainland Portugal, the Pilgrim Cross and the Marian Icon travelled more than 40,000 kilometres by car, which is equivalent to driving once around the world. In the Azores and Madeira, the Pilgrimage of Symbols was supported by the Portuguese Air Force, allowing the Symbols to travel to all the islands of the two archipelagos, adding thousands of air miles.

The WYD Symbols marked their presence not only in Portugal but also in Angola, where they toured nine dioceses in the country, over the course of 40 days. Also in Poland, they travelled 7,500 kilometres in 10 days and in Spain they covered 14,000 kilometres in 50 days.

It was also possible to experience the Days in the Dioceses (DND), from 26 July until 31 July. Days in the Dioceses is an encounter of young people that preceded WYD Lisbon 2023, welcoming more than 67,500 pilgrims from all over the world. Jocelyn Diaz, 23 years old, from California, USA, stayed in Lamego Diocese. She says these days prior to WYD were “transformative” and “full of love”. She points out that, besides the activities and moments of socialising, what most impressed her was “seeing how cultures interact with each other”. From the perspective of those who welcomed pilgrims, Pedro Lima, Mayor of the town of Vila Flor, says that the Days in Dioceses were “a refreshing experience”, which brought “youth” and “hope” to an “ageing territory”.

These two events represented a challenge for Portuguese families and young people to embrace WYD Lisbon 2023, even before the main event had started.