Catholic youth within the Diocese of Salt Lake City have the opportunity to win a free trip to World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea, through a new essay contest. The competition was announced in a notice from the diocese.
The contest winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip that includes travel, lodging, meals, and World Youth Day programming for themselves and a parent or chaperone traveling with the Utah delegation. The opportunity was created after tour operator Verso Ministries provided the diocese with two fully funded trips to the event.
Michael Edwards, director of diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry, stated that the group currently has 72 people registered for World Youth Day. He noted that while the diocese is one of the smallest in America in terms of numbers, the group will be one of the largest from the United States.
To enter, students must submit a 500- to 700-word essay addressing why World Youth Day is important for the Catholic Church and why attending is important for teenagers. Participants must have received the Sacrament of Confirmation by the time of the event. The essay must explain the purpose and significance of the event, discuss how attendance can affect a teenager's faith and sense of community, and use respectful language regarding Catholic beliefs and cultural experiences.
Saint John Paul II established World Youth Day in 1985 to allow young people to meet, share experiences, and listen to words of faith. While the event is celebrated locally in each diocese annually, an international gathering occurs every three to four years. The most recent international gathering took place in August 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, where a delegation from the Diocese of Salt Lake City joined millions of pilgrims.
Digital essay entries must be emailed to Michael Edwards by Oct. 15. The judging panel includes Edwards, Superintendent of Schools Nikki Ward, Assistant Superintendent Megan Randazzo, Bishop Oscar A. Solis, and Intermountain Catholic editor Marie Mischel.
