Diocese invites youths, community, to World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

The Diocese of Covington is coordinating a pilgrimage to World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 in Seoul, South Korea. With the last WYD in Lisbon, Portugal in 2023, this pilgrimage provides an excellent opportunity for young adults ages 18–25 to “Experience the universality of the Catholic Church in the presence of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, alongside millions of young adult Catholics from around the world,” according to Isaak Isaak, director of the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization and part of the team organizing the trip.

Having attended nine WYDs himself, Mr. Isaak said that he is “very excited about World Youth Day Seoul, taking place in the Capital of South Korea. This will be the first World Youth Day to take place in continental Asia. I have seen firsthand what World Youth Day can do; how much it positively impacts a pilgrim’s life. It is a celebration of both the unity of being members of the Body of Christ and the diversity of the gifts contained within.”

The diocese’s pilgrimage includes a trip to a sacred landscape of South Korea marked by the sacrifices of early Catholic martyrs. Sites like Danggogae, Saenamteo, Seosomun, and Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine are on the itinerary.

Korea’s martyrs “sowed the seeds for what has become a blossoming and vibrant Church” in South Korea, the Pope Francis wrote in a telegram to Bishop Matthias Ri Iong-Hoon of Suwon, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, before his passing.

“The youth of today are the heirs of this great testimony of faith, and I pray that they will carry on this precious witness to Christ as they prepare for the World Youth Day 2027,” the pope wrote.

Total costs for the trip are estimated to be around $5,500 per person — with the initial deposit of $800 due March 16 to reserve a spot — with plans for fundraising being considered.

Interested parties can register at https://forms.gle/9JW61qveAUGbdWxy6, or contact Isaak Isaak at (859) 392–1529 or iisaak@covdio.org.