After the previous days in Villafranca de los Barros (Extremadura) where we joined schools from all over Spain to prepare for WYD Lisbon 2023, on 31 July, St. Ignatius Day, we left for our WYD experience.

These days we have been staying in Parede, a parish within the municipality of Carcavelos, in the area where most of the Spanish pilgrims, about 30,000, were assigned. So our first activity was the Eucharist shared with all the Spanish pilgrims, in Estoril. This Eucharist, celebrating St. Ignatius of Loyola, was presided over by Cardinal Omella, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, who in his homily made numerous references to Ignatian spirituality and the life of St. Ignatius. 

The following days were dedicated to immersing ourselves in the experience of WYD, being very significant the visit to the Shrine of Fatima on August 2nd, when by chance our group participated very actively in the international Eucharist, presided by Cardinal Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation. Until Thursday we had the opportunity to visit the area, get to know the City of Mercy, the Vocations Fair, attend a penitential celebration presided over by the Bishop of Bilbao, Monsignor Joseba Segura...

Another particularly significant moment was the Eucharist of the Spanish Ignatian family, celebrated in the church of Nossa Senhora da Encarnaçao in Lisbon. It was an occasion to recognise each other as a family and to celebrate what unites us, on the feast of St. Peter Faber, the first companion of St. Ignatius.

The main days of WYD began with the Way of the Cross in Edward VII Park, presided over by the Holy Father. Here many of us had the opportunity to see Pope Francis up close as he blessed our group. After saying goodbye to the volunteers and host families from Parede, who made our experience so easy, we set off on Saturday to Campo da Graça for the Vigil on Saturday night and the final Mass on Sunday. Spending the night in the open air, together with more than one and a half million pilgrims was an unforgettable experience that prepared us to intensely celebrate the final sending out Eucharist.

We ended the day very grateful to all those who made this experience possible, and looking forward to repeating it in Seoul 2027!