It's the Catholic Church's week of events for youth and with youth. It gathers thousands of young people from around the world to build bridges of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures.  Inspired by great gatherings of the world's young people for special youth events in Rome in 1983-84, Pope John Paul II established World Youth Day as an annual event and a way to reach out to the next generation of Catholics and spread the Church's teachings.  World Youth Day is an inclusive, international celebration of faith, friendship and hope between peoples and cultures. 

This event is for people age 16-35. 

Below will be a list of groups going to WYD from the Diocese of La Crosse.