“We come to worship Him” was the theme for World Youth Day 2005 held in Cologne, Germany, this year. Using the story of the Magi and the gifts they brought to the babe in the manger, Pope John Paul II set the stage for an experience of a lifetime for the youth of the world. This year, I was blessed to be able to take youth on this pilgrimage where we were introduced to Pope Benedict XVI, and I would like to share some of the gifts of the trip.

The first gift WYD brought to my life was gold—or in other words—the gift of fundraising. Never having done this before, it was quite a challenge. We started a year in advance with a goal of approximately $2,000 per person. The youth worked hard to earn their share. We held a religious article sale, a bake-sale, volksmarch (a 6-mile walkathon), and we even offered physical labor for sale! Parishioners were wonderful in supporting our “Stock in Youth” sale by donating money in exchange for different levels of stock benefits. Weekly pleas in the church bulletin helped people to realize where we were and what we still needed. We met the goal and off we went!

The second gift of frankincense was presented as we landed in Germany. The smells (perfumes?) of another land were found daily. We had the smell of sauerkraut and beer at the Hofbrauhaus house in Munich, the disinfectant smell of the hostel, the smell of evil in the cell block at Dachau, and the “aroma” of close quarters in the sleeping cars on the night train. As we arrived in Gorlitz, our host city for Days in the Diocese, the smell of rain met us. The treasure of perfumes continued in Cologne with the laundromat, the crowded trains, the bakery where we ate breakfast every day, and the classroom smells where we slept with other American groups each night. And let’s not forget the bouquet of smells in Marienfield where we spent the night with approximately one million Catholic travelers from around the world.

The third gift of myrrh was definitely the spicy mix of youth with whom I traveled. Each one brought their individual flavor to the journey. We had the college-bound girl who helped us catch trains, the cousins who laughed all the time, the girl with a shopping addiction, the boy scout who was lost in Cologne for over two hours, the boy who was sick and miserable with a cold for over a week—you get the picture. The same group of youths were excited to be there, racing from adventure to adventure, open to exploring old churches, each day meeting new friends and each night ready for sleep.

I have been asked:

• “Would you do it again?”
• “Was it worth all the work and money?”
• “Why take youth across the world to WYD?”

My answers are simple:

• Can you put a price on a pilgrimage?
• The youth had a chance to experience the larger church coming together and get excited about their faith.
• The community building involved in the fundraising and planning ahead of time was invaluable. The workshops, national speakers, and music cannot be offered at a parish level.
• I am sure that this experience will impact the youth for a long time—both personally and spiritually.

Yes, I will consider doing it again, but I also thank God that World Youth Day only happens every three years. Hey, isn’t that about how long it took the wise men to travel to Jesus?