We are united in the name of the Lord.

As much as I want to travel light for this pilgrimage, I'm letting myself bring one book to World Youth Day – St. Louis de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary.

When 27-year-old David Figueroa found out this year’s World Youth Day was going to be hosted in Panama, so close to his home country of Colombia, he was more than excited to be a part of the event. 

PANAMA CITY 

Panama City will be packed during World Youth Day, especially along the “Cinta Costera,” where most events will be held.

EDMONTON – A much smaller group of pilgrims than usual is heading off to World Youth Day from Edmonton this week. But the anticipation is huge.

Myriam Guevara Mann still remembers looking out to a crowd of 800,000 people before she danced the biggest show of her life. 

José Murillo is the only one in his family who hasn’t been back to Panama City since they immigrated to Canada about 12 years ago. 

Alicia Escobar was 10 years old when Pope St. John Paul II came to Toronto in 2002 for World Youth Day. She was too young to participate but remembers the excitement, and now she’s looking forward to experiencing that for herself.

PANAMA CITY, Panama – A Catholic film ministry has opened a contest for the 2019 World Youth Day to encourage young cinematographers to create short movies promoting truth, beauty, and goodness.

LIMA, Peru – More than 1,000 young pilgrims will share their cultures, joys and struggles at a gathering of indigenous youth in a small town in Panama just before World Youth Day in January.

VATICAN – It's time to break free from fear, fake online personas and looking at the world through a digital screen display, Pope Francis told young people.

VATICAN – After the Angelus Sunday, with the help of a tablet and two young people, Pope Francis signed up for World Youth Day 2019 in Panama, announcing that registration for the international event has opened.

VATICAN CITY – Preparations for World Youth Day 2018 and the dangers of gender theory on marriage and the family were among the major themes that bishops from Panama discussed with Pope Francis.

PANAMA CITY – A logo depicting symbols for Mary, Panama and the Panama Canal was selected as the winning design to promote World Youth Day 2019.

VATICAN CITY – With the next global celebration of World Youth Day scheduled for Jan. 22-27, 2019, Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell knows many young Catholics in North America and Europe may find it a challenge to attend.