Pilgrimage to the World Youth Day

Pilgrimage to the World Youth Day - St Joseph College Group

A group of young people from Edmonton will attend World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, a celebration of youth and faith. The event will provide an opportunity for attendees to deepen their faith and hear from the Pope himself. The cost of attending can be a barrier, and the group is raising funds to support their participation. Donations will help young people deepen their faith, build connections with other believers, and become leaders in their communities. Support will help make WYD 2023 a global celebration of faith and community.

Hi there, my name is Oscar (the puppy is Vera). I’m originally from Colombia. I'm excited to share that I'll be attending my first World Youth Day! Currently, I'm an international graduate student at the University of Alberta, studying for my Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. I wanted to personally thank you for taking the time to read this and potentially supporting our group on this journey of evangelization. Our goal is to meet the Pope and connect with other Christians who, like us, want to praise the Lord and pray for an end to war and the protection of the environment. We believe that the Lord can be found in all the hearts that need Him the most, and it's our hope that through this experience, we can help spread that message.

With your support, I'm confident that I'll be able to accomplish this dream. I offer to include your prayers in our own, and we will pray for you in the presence of the Pope. Thank you again for your incredible generosity, and may God bless you always!

Hi, my name is Alanna! I completed my Dental Hygiene degree at the University of Alberta and now spend every day keeping people smiling!

Having grown up in the small northern-Alberta town of Girouxville, moving to “the big city” to pursue my education was a big change. I was incredibly fortunate to find a vibrant Catholic community at St Joseph’s College.

I hadn’t been a part of the St Joe’s community for very long when I approached our campus minister Theresa to ask her if there was a group from St Joe’s planning to attend World Youth Day in Lisbon 2022 (before it was postponed due to Covid). Theresa said there was nothing in the works, but encouraged me to start a group. Being new to St Joe’s, not being at a confident place in my faith, and never having attended WYD before, leading a group of pilgrims felt like an impossible task.

Fast forward three years, a global pandemic, many St Joe’s events, countless new friendships, a year serving on the Catholic Students Association, joining the St Joe’s Society of St Vincent de Paul, and growing exponentially in my faith….here I am co-leading a group of young adults on an incredible pilgrimage! All things do work out in God’s good time! St Joe’s is truly a one-of-a-kind place for young adults to live our faith. Thank you for your generosity in helping me and my fellow pilgrims experience WYD! We will be praying for you!

Greetings, I am Andrés, a Ph.D. candidate in Sustainable Aviation Fuel at the University of Alberta, and the current president of the Catholic Students’ Association. As a devoted Christian and a native of Colombia, I have had the privilege of volunteering for two previous World Youth Days in Rio and Krakow, and now I am excited to embark on a pilgrimage to Lisbon.

This spiritual journey will allow me to connect with millions of young Catholics from around the world and experience the universality of our Church. It is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our faith, build community, and deepen our relationship with Jesus, who is revealed in our neighbours.

As I prepare for this pilgrimage, I am reaching out to you for your support in making this dream a reality. Your generous contribution will enable me to join Pope Francis and millions of other pilgrims in this journey. I assure you that I will carry all your intentions, along with those of your loved ones, and seek the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima.

Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity, and may God bless you abundantly!

Hi! My name is Maria! I am currently a fourth year elementary education student at the University of Alberta and will be graduating in April 2023. I am so excited to be working with Edmonton Catholic School District this September and live out my vocation to teach!

I grew up in a small town and came to Edmonton to pursue my post-secondary education. In that time, I found St. Joseph’s College and this quickly became a home away from home. It was here that I found my Catholic family on campus, developed lifelong friendships and deepened my relationship with Christ. This year, I was honoured to serve as the Vice President of the Catholic Students Association where I was able to give back to a community that has blessed me so abundantly over these last four years.

As I look forward to this pilgrimage to Lisbon, I am excited to to have this opportunity to pray with Pope Francis and the many other pilgrims from all around the world. I thank you for your generosity and support for making this dream possible. Be assured of my prayers for you and may God bless you and your loved ones!

Hi! My name is Austin. I am currently in grade 12 in Northern Alberta. I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to travel with St. Joe's diocese to my first World Youth Day. I can’t wait to meet new people from all around the world on this trip, and have the opportunity to grow in my Catholic faith with millions of others.

As I prepare for this trip, I will hold all of your prayer intentions in my heart, and offer my prayers for all of you. Thank you for your generosity, and all of the help that it is going to take to make this trip a reality.

Hey, my name is Larissa and I am a 2022 University of Alberta psychology graduate. In my time at UofA I was heavily involved with the St. Joseph’s College community and the Catholic Students’ Association in particular, so I am very grateful for the opportunity to travel to World Youth Day for the first time with this community of amazing individuals!

I’m looking forward to connecting in prayer and celebration with young Catholics from around the world, and experiencing the culture of Portugal. World Youth Day, for me, is taking another step in the right direction on my faith journey.

“Do not be satisfied with mediocrity… Do not be afraid to be holy!” John Paul II’s words prompt me to seek holiness with this pilgrimage, as in everything.

Hi! My name is Katie and I am currently in my fourth year of a B.A. in English at the University of Alberta. I hope to go on to obtain a Masters in Speech Language Pathology and eventually be a speech therapist.

I am from Fort Saskatchewan and a parishioner at Our Lady of the Angels Church. I am so grateful to have such supportive friends and family from that community who have helped me inform and embrace my faith.

While not in school, I enjoy reading reading Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens novels, participating in local theatre, playing my fiddle, spending time with my four younger siblings, and drinking lattes.

I am so excited to embark on this pilgrimage and meet fellow young Catholics from the Edmonton area and worldwide! I look forward to visiting Portugual, growing in my faith, and learning about how to share it with the world.

Obrigada for all of your generous support, donations, and prayers!

My name is Candice and I graduated from the U of A, Augustana with a music degree in piano performance in 2020. After moving to Edmonton, I got involved in the music ministry at St Joseph’s College and got to meet many of the regular faces in that community.

When I was growing up, our home parish had a youth mentor who we all looked up to and who played an important role in each of our lives. He would attend Youth Day pilgrimages and share his stories and photos with us kids. We all looked forward to attending when we were old enough, and in 2016, it became a reality. It was an incredible and life-changing experience, and I thank God for the opportunity to have gone with the one who inspired us before he passed away in 2018. Now, 7 years later, I am preparing to attend the pilgrimage again, with memories close to my heart. I am excited to grow spiritually and share our faith with pilgrims from around the world.

Hi, my name is Caitlin and I am going into my first year of University at King’s University in Edmonton. I am looking to get into equine veterinary medicine in the near future.

This is my first World Youth Day and I am very excited to be going and meeting new people from across the globe who I share the Catholic faith with. I grew up in the church and I am looking forward to strengthening my faith and deepening my relationship with Him alongside all of the other pilgrims. I am also looking forward to experiencing the culture and way of life in Portugal.

When I’m not working I am riding my horses, working out, reading books, exploring new places, and snuggling with my dog :) I love the outdoors and will take any opportunity to be outside and thank God for the beautiful world that he made for us.

I thank you for your generosity in making this a reality for all of us here. May God bless you and everyone you meet.

Hello! My name is Sadie and I am a current second year student at The King’s

University in Edmonton. I am pursuing a B.A. in Science, with a concentration in biology and chemistry, in hopes of finding something I love to do!

I am a member of the Sacred Heart Parish in Gibbons, and have been a part of the Catholic Church since I was little. I am so thankful for all the people and Christian communities that have supported me, answered questions, and prayed with me to help me grow in my faith.

In my free time away from school and work I love to spend quality time with my family and my puppies :) I also enjoy spending time outside and reflecting on the beauty of God’s creation!

I am absolutely thrilled at this opportunity to be a part of my first WYD pilgrimage to Portugal this fall. I am excited to connect with youth from all over the world that share my Catholic faith and passion for the Lord. I am looking forward to experiencing the culture of Portugal and meeting many new people.

Thank you so much for your support and generosity, you will be in my prayers, may God bless you!

Hi my name is Talia, and I was recently admitted to the University of Alberta, where I am eager to attend and immerse myself into University life. I am a part of my high school’s anti-racism student initiative, and a member of the Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples. As a Catholic youth who lives in the inner city, I made it my goal to lessen the burden of marginalized communities by aiding in the making and distribution of necessities - food, clothing, and so forth. I am my parish’s youngest CWL member and so excited to be the first youth to represent our Indigenous Catholic parish at WYD and be able to connect with fellow Catholic youth!

Hello! My name is Bea and I graduated from the University of Alberta in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology. With the switch to online learning in 2020, I found myself yearning for human connection. At that point, I took the opportunity to join an Alpha group and do morning prayer every week with others at St. Joseph's College. This sparked a desire to learn and explore my faith as a Catholic young adult. I got inspired to challenge my leadership capabilities by first, joining the Catholic Students' Association and a year later, the Catholic Women's League at my home parish, St. John the Evangelist. That small step out of my comfort zone led to me discovering a more personal connection to my faith and forming many new friendships rooted in Christ.

Being able to go to World Youth Day would be such a privilege and blessing to me - it would act as a catalyst, accelerating my spiritual journey together with other Catholic young adults from around the world. I will pray for any intentions that you may have along with the hope that future generations will continue to be as excited as we are for this World Youth Day. Please know that we are extremely grateful for your support and generosity!

Hello, my name is Mia, I am currently finishing up my last year of high school and am looking forward to starting the next stage in my life. I am a member of the Sacred Heart Parish in Gibbons and have been going there for many years along with the rest of my family. Within the last year I was confirmed and am excited to journey on this pilgrimage and deepen my relationship with Christ as well as meet more people who share my faith.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, sports, and socializing. At times I prefer to be outside playing volleyball, badminton, football, and many other sports with my family and friends, while other times I would rather be curled up by the fire reading a book or playing a board game with my loved ones. In all these activities I enjoy I also do my best to be thankful for all these blessings God has given me and I am so grateful for all the people he has put in my life.

There is so much I am looking forward to this coming World Youth Day, so thank you so much for your support and donation.

Hello! My name is Karen, and I am in my third year of a BA in Psych Honors with a minor in Sociology at the University of Alberta.

I am a parishioner at St. John Bosco Parish, where I enjoy dedicating my services in the Young Adult Choir as well as the Children’s Liturgy Program. I am also a proud Filipina and am involved in developing my faith through the customs of my culture, such as dancing for Sto. Niño Sinulog Celebrations and attending my local Filipino community’s Novena programs.

My hobbies include graphic design, playing piano, and tending to God’s creation by growing my plants. (I hope to one day have a flourishing vegetable garden!)

I am honored to be called to journey with my fellow youths in our pilgrimage to World Youth Day and I thank you for your kindness and generosity in supporting our growth in faith, community, and love. I offer up my prayers along with my peers for your intentions. We are incredibly thankful for your support in our pilgrimage! Deus é bom! (O tempo todo!)