Become a volunteer

*Applications for volunteers are now closed.*

Helpful information

Transportation to the Volunteers' Meeting with the Pope in Algés

To expedite the travel of all the volunteers to the Meeting of Volunteers with the Pope, leaving from Campo da Graça, on August 6, and to ensure that the maximum number of volunteers can be present, we'll leave some transportation options below:

Exclusive buses for the transportation of Volunteers
Starting at 11:00 am, right after the Sending Mass, there will be buses available to transport volunteers that will be making the route several times. This operation is coordinated by the PSP Traffic Division. The meeting point to join the transport is at an entrance to the IC2, next to the LIDL Moscavide. Location here.
From Campo da Graça it can take between 20 and 40 minutes on foot to get to this meeting point. Try to leave as soon as possible, so that the transportation can start at 11.00 am.
To board these buses, you must present your central volunteer, parish volunteer or minister of communion credential.

Use the public network, not exclusive for Volunteers
To get to Passeio Marítimo de Algés from Campo da Graça, an alternative is the train, at Cais do Sodré Station - the line that goes to Algés, with trains every 20 minutes.
To get to Cais do Sodré Station, you can walk, take the Oriente-Santa Apolónia train, or take the metro between Oriente and Cais do Sodré. In all alternatives it is necessary to walk a good part of the route.

To make sure you don't miss out on this Volunteers' Meeting with the Pope, leave as soon as you can and take your team. The Final Meeting of Volunteers will be August 6, at Passeio Marítimo de Algés, at 16h30.

Check-in

All Central Volunteers must check-in in person: this allows to confirm their presence at the WYD and the moment they receive their personal credential, transport ticket and Volunteer Kit. Central Volunteers do it at the Catholic University, Parish Volunteers do it at their parishes.

Parish Volunteers - Check-in location and time is defined by each Parish. It is important to have the check-in done by July 23rd, in order to be identified during the training week.

Central Volunteers - Catholic University of Portugal, Palma de Cima 649-023 Lisbon. The entrance to the Car Park will be marked, this is where the check-in will take place. Opening hours here.

NOTE: Central Volunteers with the V1 package must do one first Check-in at the Catholic University and a second Check-in at the place of accommodation. If the volunteer arrives at Lisbon at a time when Check-in is already closed, contact the accommodation in advance to inform them about this situation.

Credentials

All Volunteers must carry with them, in a visible way, the Credential they receive at the time of the Check-in. The Credential has relevant information about the identification, as well as the barcode/QRcode that is on the front of it and that gives access to meals. At the time of Check-in it is activated so the volunteer can use it. Be especially careful not to lose this document: apart from security reasons, it is equivalent to the cost of meals, and it is what identifies the volunteers to have access to various events.

Parish Volunteer credentials are not nominal. It must be written the data by hand and then register in the official app (as explained later).

Volunteer Kit

When the volunteer check-in, he or she will receive the Volunteer Kit, which includes: a WYD backpack, a reusable water bottle, a ribbon to wear your credential around your neck, a Rosary of the WYD, a hat, 4 yellow t-shirts of Volunteer, and the Credential + transport ticket.

Whenever it is being serving as a Volunteer, the volunteer must wear the WYD t-shirt, if not, must not wear the t-shirt, so that the volunteer can rest and enjoy participating in the WYD program.

How the WYD talks with you

The WYD communication tools for Central Volunteers will be: Email, Loop, Official WYD App “Lisboa 2023”, WYD Volunteers Schedule App.

In the case of Parish Volunteers, the WYD will always contact through the COP. In addition, for some information, the volunteer can also use the Email, Loop, Official App of WYD “Lisboa 2023”.

Help desks

In various parts of the city, Volunteer Help Desks (VHD) will be working: places where Volunteers can answer questions or problems related to credentials, teams or applications. Try to use these places only when necessary, trying to solve doubts through the usual ways: through the Team Leader and consulting the information available on the various platforms.

What does being a volunteer mean?

Since its first edition in 1986, World Youth Day has been built with the collaboration of thousands of volunteers. One of the greatest beauties of this meeting with the Pope is the gift of work and time of so many young people who, free of charge, give others the opportunity to participate in a unique experience. 

A volunteer is someone who is aware of having a mission. There is something worth offering up for. It is this free and generous offer that gives the volunteer the joy and consolation of knowing that he is doing his part in this world for which we are all responsible. 

At WYD Lisbon 2023, the Volunteer lives in the first person the theme of this WYD: «Mary arose and went with haste» (Lk 1:39). Wanting to serve the other, renouncing some personal things, for the joy that is found in service. 

What types of volunteers are there?

In an event of this dimension, there are several types of volunteers. Some will have a very visible mission and in prominent places, and others a more discreet and equally critical role in making WYD happen. As Pope Francis tells us, in volunteering every service is important, even the simplest (meeting with volunteers in WYD Krakow 2016).