World Meeting of Famillies

World Meeting of Families: Archdiocese Pilgrimage

The archdiocesan group consists of about 50 people who will be part of a pilgrimage September 21-28, 2015, to the World Meeting of Families and Festival of Families with a visit from the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

The representative group will be diverse in family type (nuclear, single-parent, blended, grandparents as parents), state of life (married, divorced, never married, religious, priest, deacon) as well as in age, location in the archdiocese, and ethnicity.

Families and individuals from across the archdiocese were selected represent the archdiocese by application or nomination process. Each family answered the following questions:

  1. What gifts and strengths do you bring that would be beneficial to the pilgrimage to the World Meeting of Families?
  2. What do you hope to learn during the pilgrimage?
  3. How do you plan on bringing back what you learn to your family, parish, and community that would enhance and build up the Christian family in the Church and society within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis? 

About the World Meeting of Families

The eighth World Meeting of Families will take place for the first time in the United States in Philadelphia September 21-25, 2015. The conference is expected to draw thousands of attendees from more than 150 countries — and more than 1 million pilgrims for the papal visit and Sunday Mass.

The theme for the 2015 World Meeting of Families, “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” emphasizes the impact of the love and life of families on our society. The purpose of this worldwide gathering is to allow families to hear distinguished speakers, share thoughts, participate in dialogue and prayers, and work together to grow as individuals and families while focusing on the role of the Christian family in the Church and society.

The World Meeting of Families was conceived by St. John Paul II to look at strengthening the sacred bonds of families across the globe. The first World Meeting of Families took place in Rome, Italy, in 1994, the International “Year of the Family,” and has been held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1997); Rome (2000); Manila, Philippines (2003); Valencia, Spain (2006); Mexico City, Mexico (2009); and Milan, Italy (2012).

Some financial assistance for participating in the weeklong pilgrimage may be available.

If you have any questions regarding the resources or would like to have a presenter come to your parish, please contact Scott Seibert at (317) 236-1527 or sseibert@archindy.org

General Information

  • September 21-25, 2015 - World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia
  • September 26-27, 2015 - Festival of Families with papal visit
  • Find out about alternative ways to attend the World Meeting of Families.
  • Learn more about the World Meeting of Families!
  • Alternative Pilgrimages not sponsored by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis:

Preparing For The World Meeting of Families

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