The experience of being at Lisbon’s World Youth Day as chaplain for the North Queensland Catholic education offices pilgrim group was a gift that will be cherished for a long time for Fr Joseph Reddy SVD.

Fr Joseph, who is a parish priest in Townsville, said that being with faith-filled young people from around the world and listening to the words of Pope Francis to not be afraid and to be a welcoming Church for everyone helped nourish his own faith and send him home with refreshed spiritual vigour.

This year the World Youth Day will be celebrated in the city of Krakow, Poland from the 25th to 31st July 2016. Young people from around the world will assemble in Poland. The World Youth Day of 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that I attended is always in my mind.

I will share a few thoughts about the effect WYD had on me as a person. I had a great experience of personal conversion being with the young people. Young people long to experience the love of God and the experience of being loved by others.