New Documentary on International Catholic Youth Gathering Coming to US

NEW HAVEN, Conn., March 28, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An inspiring new documentary, World Youth Day Kraków: A Pilgrimage of Mercy, will enable American viewers to share in the experience of young Catholics from around the world who participated in Pope Francis's international World Youth Day (WYD) in Kraków last year.

The 40-minute film is available for purchase in DVD format at Ignatius Press and Knights Gear. It will also air on television on Saturday, April 8, the eve of the annual World Youth Day with Pope Francis in Rome.

"This documentary captures the spirit of World Youth Day, and allows those who could not attend to have a window into this moving event," said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson. "It brings to life the spirit of Divine Mercy, preached by Pope Francis in the town that is the epicenter of this devotion, and was home to St. John Paul II, his predecessor who also did much to spread that message."

The WYD Kraków theme, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy," united millions of Catholics from around the world as they traveled in the footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II and other great saints of Kraków, discovering new aspects of the rich heritage of their Catholic faith.

World Youth Day is celebrated with an international gathering every two or three years. The event in Poland was the 14th such gathering since WYD was first instituted by St. John Paul II in Rome in 1985. Annually, WYD is celebrated in dioceses around the world on Palm Sunday.

On this Palm Sunday, April 9, Pope Francis will meet WYD delegations from Poland and from Panama, where the next international celebration will be held in 2019. As part of the ceremony, the Polish young people will transfer stewardship of the official WYD cross to their Panamanian counterparts. 

The documentary, produced by the Knights of Columbus, includes exclusive footage of the Night of Mercy Youth Festival, featuring music from Matt Maher and Audrey Assad, as well as a spiritual reflection by Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron and a panel discussion on religious liberty with Archbishop Bashar Warda from Erbil, Iraq, and Archbishop William Lori, the chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty at the USCCB.

The K of C also sponsored the Mercy Centre at Tauron Arena Kraków, which served as the hub of many WYD activities and hosted the official WYD cross during Pope Francis's final meeting with the pilgrims who served as volunteers.

EWTN will air the film on April 8 at 2 p.m. EST, April 10 at 7 a.m. EST, and April 10 at 4 p.m. EST. The film will also air on Salt + Light television in Canada on April 9 at 8 p.m. EST.

For more information, visit wydenglishsite.org/film.

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SOURCE Knights of Columbus