Staff reporters
Hundreds of young Irish Catholics are packing their bags to make the pilgrimage to Poland to celebrate World Youth Day with Pope Francis.
Two million young Catholics are expected to throng the city of Krakow for July 26-31.
Some 1,600 young pilgrims are travelling in coming days, 10 times the number who went to Rio de Janeiro in 2013.
Most of the 26 dioceses across the island of Ireland have organised a WYD pilgrimage and diocesan youth ministries have reported that a combination of the appeal of Pope Francis, the shorter distance to travel and the unique WYD faith experience have attracted young people in large numbers.
Ten Irish bishops – many of them the newer-ordained bishops – are leading large groups from their dioceses.
WYD preparations in the Archdiocese of Dublin began three years ago and some 300 youths will travel on the pilgrimage led by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
Bishop Denis Brennan of Kildare & Leighlin is leading 130 young Catholics from the diocese, many of them travelling to a World Youth Day for the first time.
Pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Armagh will number 100.
Down & Connor Diocese is bringing 54 pilgrims to Krakow, while Bishop Phonsie Cullinan will lead 20 pilgrims from Waterford & Lismore who will join 30 pilgrims from the Diocese of Cloyne.
Some 50 pilgrims from the Diocese of Clogher will join another 50 from neighbouring Derry.
Bishops
Two bishops, Brendan Leahy and Donal Murray, are travelling to Poland with 50 young pilgrims from Limerick and Bishop Denis Brennan is leading a pilgrimage of 35 from Ferns diocese. Youth 2000, which was founded after World Youth Day in Spain in 1989, is taking a group of 71 pilgrims.
Dozens of other Irish pilgrims are expected to join other groups and many have plans to travel independently Krakow.
Pope Francis is due to arrive in the Polish city – famed as the city where St John Paul II served as bishop before being elected Pope in 1978 – on July 27.
The Pontiff will preside over a number of large public liturgies, the highpoints of which are expected to be a huge open-air vigil on Saturday night followed by Mass the following morning at which pilgrim numbers may well swell to two million.
