“Put service and mission first and you will see that everything else will follow.” - Pope Francis, January 27, Panamá WYD Volunteer Gathering

Wow! Waking up in Panama was a real joy!

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. 

WASHINGTON - World Youth Day organizers in the United States and Poland remain in touch with diplomatic and security officials in their respective countries to ensure that pilgrims will remain safe during the festival of faith in late July.

MORELIA, Mexico - Excitement turned potentially dangerous and elicited an angry snap from Pope Francis at a meeting with young people in Morelia Feb. 16.

MEXICO CITY - With anticipation growing in the streets of Mexico City for Pope Francis' visit, a group of local pilgrims found time to thank their "mother" and prayed that it would give their country a spiritual awakening.

The World Youth Day pilgrimage begins at the local level.

With less than six months before young Canadians leave for Krakow, Poland, this July, youth ministry groups are hard at it preparing their pilgrims for spiritual formation.

VATICAN CITY - More than 3.2 million pilgrims visited and attended papal events, liturgies or prayer services at the Vatican in 2015, the Vatican said.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis is warning Catholics about con artists demanding money to pass through a holy door, such as the one opened in St. Peter’s Basilica and other churches for the Vatican’s jubilee year, telling them salvation cannot be bought.

VATICAN CITY - Drawing on the experience of the public exposition of the Shroud of Turin, Vatican officials are adopting a reservation system for pilgrims who want to cross the threshold of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica during the Year of Mercy.

Registration is now open for World Youth Day 2016 and Canadian pilgrims are beginning to mobilize. Individuals, groups of friends, parishes and archdioceses are all preparing for their trip to Krakow, Poland, next summer.

TORONTO - GTA Catholic Events will embark on its first pilgrimage together this Canada Day long weekend to experience the spiritual sites of Quebec.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Hours before Pope Francis was to arrive in Sri Lanka, people in Colombo were busy with final preparations.

QUEBEC CITY - More than 100,000 pilgrims have already passed through the Holy Door in Quebec’s Cathedral-Basilica of Notre Dame and another 200,000 are expected before year's end.