Preparations for World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027 have entered the implementation phase following a global kick-off meeting that gathered youth ministry leaders and Church representatives from around the world.
According to the WYD Seoul 2027 Local Organizing Committee, about 245 youth ministry leaders and representatives from bishops’ conferences, ecclesial movements, and Church communities joined the March 5 online meeting organized with the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life to coordinate preparations for the international Catholic youth gathering.
The meeting, held from the dicastery’s conference room in Rome, also included 25 representatives from the Seoul organizing committee.
It aimed to brief bishops’ conferences and youth ministry networks on the progress of preparations while strengthening global coordination.
Among those leading the session were Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung of Seoul, president of the organizing committee; Bishop Paul Kyung-sang Lee, its general coordinator; and Fr. Franco Galdino of the dicastery’s Youth Office.
In his opening remarks, Archbishop Chung presented four key words that frame the vision of the 2027 gathering: encounter, pastoral care, pilgrimage, and mission.
He said the event “should be a place where young people discover that they are not alone, encounter God and one another, and are sent back to their daily lives renewed in faith.”
He also described Seoul as a city “where tradition and the future meet, where hospitality and community are lived, and where peace is deeply longed for.”
Bishop Lee welcomed participants and thanked those engaged in youth ministry across the world for accompanying young people in their faith journeys, while encouraging continued collaboration as preparations move forward.
Fr. Galdino said the meeting was designed to help bishops’ conferences and youth leaders understand the progress of preparations and maintain close communication with the organizing committee.
He said World Youth Day is “a shared journey in which the Church accompanies young people toward an encounter with Christ.”
Presentations during the meeting also introduced participants to the Catholic Church in Korea and reflected on the pastoral and spiritual meaning of World Youth Day.
Organizers highlighted elements expected to shape the gathering, including Korean culture and language and Seoul’s identity as a technologically advanced city.
The organizing committee presented nine pilgrim participation packages based on different meal and accommodation options.
Contributions for the packages will rise by about 10 percent compared with previous editions of World Youth Day, organizers said, citing global inflation and local costs while aiming to keep participation accessible.
More detailed information will be released through the official website of World Youth Day Seoul 2027.
Organizers also introduced the Second International Preparatory Meeting, scheduled for Sept. 14–17 in Korea.
