Denver, Colo., Aug 7, 2023 / 14:39 pm
Now that the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have left Lisbon, Portugal, and World Youth Day (WYD) has ended after days of inspiring and faith-filled events, we take a look back at some of the most moving moments of WYD.
A picture taking social media by storm is of a disabled young man being lifted by his wheelchair high above the sea of WYD attendees.
A heart-touching picture from the World Youth Day in Lisbon.
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) August 6, 2023
Proud to be a Catholic! pic.twitter.com/tRYgIOY6xlA video of Pope Francis meeting a child in a wheelchair captured the hearts of journalists in Lisbon. You can see the young boy giving the Holy Father a gift. At the end of the video, the two give one another a high-five.
This tender encounter between Pope Francis and this little child melted several journalists' hearts in Lisbon. pic.twitter.com/r1jIUvS6kd
— EWTN News (@EWTNews) August 5, 2023The EWTN News team in Lisbon found a pair of sisters from Toronto, Canada, who were attending WYD for the first time. Twenty-one-year-old Aurora and 23-year-old Gloria shared that they found out about WYD being in Portugal before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and, at that time, their mother encouraged them to attend. Their mother has since passed away and the sisters decided to attend the event in her honor.
Ladies Attend WYD in Honor of Late Mother: "We Wanted to Go for Her"
— ChurchPOP (@Church_POP) August 4, 2023
Two sisters attending World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal this week told a beautiful story about why they journeyed to the event.
21-year-old Aurora and 23-year-old Gloria from Toronto, Canada told EWTN this… pic.twitter.com/xvX9rj4PDAAs part of the WYD celebrations, Pope Francis heard the confessions of three young people in Reconciliation Park on Aug. 4. He took about 10 minutes to hear the private confessions of the young people. One heartwarming photo from this experience was a young woman being embraced by the Holy Father after her confession.
Pope Francis confessed several young people this morning during WYD in Lisbon at Reconciliation Park.
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) August 4, 2023
Credit: Vatican Media pic.twitter.com/RI6KSkWUTX
On Aug. 4 at the nunciature in Lisbon, Pope Francis met with Maria da Conceição Brito Mendonça, a 106-year-old woman who was born on the day of the apparitions of Fátima, May 13, 1917.