From the 3rd to the 8th of August, young people from across the world will gather in Seoul, Korea to celebrate their Catholic faith.
As preparations are underway, Westminster Youth Ministry invites you to join us on this extraordinary journey.
If you would like to join us on this once in a life time pilgrimage, please carefully consider the information below before completing the form.
Please note, the deposit secures your spot but is unrefundable in the event that you are no longer able to attend.
Future payments may be refunded if a pilgrim is found to replace your spot.
If you have any further questions please email youth@rcdow.org.uk.
FAQs
Cost
The anticipated cost per person for the pilgrimage is approximately £3000. This includes flights, accommodation, insurance, meals, travel and WYD costs.
We hope that your parishes and local communities will help and support any fundraising initiatives. We are also happy to provide ideas and thoughts on what can be done.
There are some ideas here on why and how to fundraise.
We cannot stress enough how important it is that you try to fundraise.
Payment will be made in instalments directly to the Youth Ministry. These details will be made available at our first meeting.
Pilgrimage Plan + Dates
We envision the pilgrimage to last about 10 days (inclusive of travel). The current plan is to start with some time in Japan and discover the history of Japanese Catholicism, before travelling to South Korea for the main portion of World Youth Day.
The current plan* is as follows:
29th July: leave the UK
30th July: arrive in Japan
31st-1st August: Nagasaki
2nd-3rd August: Hiroshima
4th August: travel to Seoul, South Korea
5th-8th August: World Youth Day events
9th August: travel back to UK
* subject to change
What to bear in mind
Jet-Lag and WYD activity
There is a 9 hour time difference with Japan and South Korea. Therefore jet-lag is to be expected.
Please be aware that WYD requires mental and physical robustness. There will be large crowds, long journeys, lots of walking and sleeping outside for the Vigil with the Holy Father. We do not state this to put you off, but rather so that you are aware of the demands of the trip. If you have any concerns, please contact the Youth Team at youth@rcdow.org.uk.
Food
Approaches to food allergies in Japan and Korea are quite different to what we have in Europe. There may be cases where allegries are not specified or accommodations cannot be made. If you have severe allergies, please consider this before booking. If you have any questions or concerns please email youth@rcdow.org.uk.
Change to information
As we begin booking the trip, some information may change. If this happens we will communicate it appropriately.
Group expectations
Over 18s
The pilgrimage is open to anyone who will be over 18 from the 15th of July 2027.
Active in Parish
Due to limited space, we would like to prioritise those young people who are actively serving in their parish, whether you read, altar serve, welcome people, serve teas and coffees- the opportunities are endless. If you currently are not, perhaps its a good opportunity to get started!
Meetings in preparation
The pilgrimage does not start and end with the dates mentioned above. In order to build community among your fellow pilgrims we will be organising at least 2 sessions in preparation for WYD in Seoul. These will be mandatory (barring exceptional circumstances). These sessions will also communicate important information in relation to WYD.