Day 7 - Friday 4 August 2023

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Friday was a moving day for our pilgrims as we joined with Pope Francis - and 800,000 other pilgrims - to pray the Stations of the Cross.

On Thursday evening, Pope Francis told us, 'Each one of us is called by name.' 'Why have we been called? Because we are loved.' Pope Francis' words resonated with our pilgrims overnight and into Friday morning. After breakfast, we made our way to our final Rise Up! session. With other English-speaking pilgrims, we held a time of silent prayer and adoration with the Blessed Sacrament. Bishop Robert Barron spoke about the importance of prayer and how we could pray better. We ended the session with Mass. Our pilgrims continued to meet pilgrims from across the world and swap souvenirs!

Afterwards, we took the time to go to the supermarket, grab lunch, dinner and supplies - particularly as we approached the Stations of the Cross.

With our Archbishop, we made our way to Parque Eduardo VII again for the Stations of the Cross.

Our pilgrims, though a little tired, were enthusiastic and did a wonderful job of making it through the crowd in hot conditions. Again, we felt the joy and pride of all the different nationalities coming together, singing and chanting. We sat further out as the crowd was bigger than the last few days. We welcomed Pope Francis again. He said at the beginning, 'Today you are going to walk with Jesus'. In a uniquely Portuguese way, we followed the footsteps of Jesus' passion and death. At each station, we heard a testimony and reflected on our own lives - personally and in society. It was a solemn and profound moment in our WYD journey.

Upon our return to the Marriott, we had time for quiet prayer and an opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation if pilgrims so chose.

Over the course of the pilgrimage, we've invited our pilgrims to write messages about their journey and who they are grateful for and praying for. Here's a selection:

Our pilgrims are now making their way to Parque Tejo-Trancão - the site of the Vigil, sleepout and Mass. Please keep them in your prayers!

Keep in touch with our pilgrimage on Facebook and Instagram.

If parents or guardians urgently need to contact the Pilgrimage Leadership Team, please call the Parent/Family Hotline (+44 7360 666 378).

The WYD Team