Olá Pilgrims and Parents/Guardians!

This weekend, our 130-strong leadership team (see picture of most of them above!) concluded their three-month formation and training series and are excited to lead our pilgrims on this journey of a lifetime. In just over a month's time, we will all be on pilgrimage right in the heart of Lisbon. As we approach departure, the WYD team are continuing their intense preparations for our pilgrimage.

In this e-news:
- An update on insurance
- Pilgrim Portal deadlines
- Travel guide and suggested packing list
- Articles to read
- Commissioning Mass

An update on insurance

The WYD Steering Committee is now able to confirm that Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) and Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne (CAM) will be providing travel insurance via a group travel insurance policy to cover all travellers that form part of our pilgrimage group to WYD23 (this will include all young people, students, leaders, support team, employees and chaplains).

This insurance will be paid for by CAM and MACS at no additional cost to you.

The insurance coverage will be from your initial departure from Australia (including any pre-pilgrimages via Holy Land and/or Italy) until your return to Australia however will not include any additional personal travel.

The policy is currently being finalised and will be provided through AIG Travel Guard a highly regarded provider of international travel insurance.

The full policy and product disclosure statement with all insurance details will be provided in the coming week including details of how to access insurance in an emergency situation.

Once the details of the insurance are provided we strongly encourage to you review in detail. On review, each traveller (or parent/guardian) is requested to make their own individual assessment if the insurance will meet their needs. Depending on the individual assessment travellers may seek their own individual additional insurance coverage.

Update your Pilgrim Portal

Thank you to all those who have updated their details on the Pilgrim Portal. All pilgrims (whether chaplains, leaders, under 18 pilgrims, over 18 pilgrims, pilgrims in the Emerging Leaders Program) must complete this according to the particular due date.

Under 18 Pilgrims: For all pilgrims under 18 years, the Pilgrim Portal and all policies must be completed by a parent or guardian.

Policies you must acknowledge

In the My Policies tab Pilgrims (or parents/guardians) must read and acknowledge the following policies by Friday 30 June:

• World Youth Day Program Standard Collection Notice

• Consent Form and Agreement

• Photography and Recording Permission Form

To access these policies, log onto your portal and click on ‘My Policies’.

Update your medical information and other important details.

In the My Details tab pilgrims (or parents/guardians) must complete the following fields by Friday 30 June:

  • Medical information
  • Passport information including uploading a scanned copy of your passport’s photo pages
  • Submissions for your rooming preferences are now closed
  • T-shirt size by Tuesday 27 June

To update your details log onto your portal and click on ‘My Details’.

Pilgrims (parents/guardians) are asked to check other fields are accurate and completed by Friday 30 June including:

  • Personal information
  • Preferred name (for use on your nametag)
  • Emergency contacts

If pilgrims (parents/guardians) have any trouble updating their details please contact wyd@cam.org.au or 9926 5713 between 9 am and 5 pm Monday - Friday and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.

Our pilgrimage provider, Harvest Journeys, has provided a travel guide containing handy tips for your pilgrimage including travel tips and a suggested packing list. Download here.

Lisbon 2023: What will our pilgrims see and experience?

What are our World Youth Day pilgrims likely to see and experience when they arrive in Lisbon—a city with a particularly rich and multilayered history. We take a look at some of Lisbon's most famous and striking monuments, including St George’s Castle, the Jerónimos Monastery and more.

Continue reading: Lisbon 2023: What will our pilgrims see and experience?

Called to something higher: the origins of World Youth Day

At the heart of Pope John Paul II’s original vision for World Youth Day was the conviction that young people could discover in Christ the deepest meaning of their lives.

Continue reading: Called to something higher: the origins of World Youth Day

Commissioning Mass and Final Pilgrim Gathering

We look forward to seeing all our pilgrims at our Commissioning Mass and Final Pilgrim Gathering!

Sunday 16 July - St Patrick’s Cathedral
11am - 2pm

Please invite your family and friends, parishioners, and benefactors as together we are commissioned by Archbishop Peter to go on pilgrimage.

Your official pilgrim pack, travel documentation, and other essential material will be distributed to each pilgrim on this day.