World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul: How to Prepare Your Group | Verso Ministries, Ep 075

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"There aren't many people walking barefoot to Rome, but there are people in middle seats."

World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul is less than a year away, and parishes and dioceses are already forming their groups. John Paul Lichon, founder and CEO of Verso Ministries, and Joan Watson, Verso's pilgrim formation manager, talk with Christopher about what makes a pilgrimage different from a trip, how to prepare pilgrims for the sacrifices along the way, and how to help them come home changed.

John Paul tells how a moment at World Youth Day in Kraków in 2016 led him to start Verso, and Joan shares why adults need the experience of pilgrimage, not only information. They talk about lost luggage and middle seats, the "so what?" question every pilgrim should answer, the story of the Korean Church, how to bring the whole parish along, and why you don't have to fly overseas to make a pilgrimage.

In This Episode

• 0:00 Cold open: "Parts are gonna hurt"
• 1:01 Welcome and introduction
• 2:32 Meet John Paul, Joan and Verso Ministries
• 7:09 Why a pilgrimage is not a vacation
• 11:41 Sacrifice, setbacks and lost luggage
• 17:00 Coming home: the "so what?" question
• 22:51 Starting Verso with $25 and a state website
• 28:29 World Youth Day in Seoul and the Korean Church
• 35:52 Bringing the whole parish along
• 41:49 What gives them hope: "Take courage"

Key Takeaways

• The pilgrimage begins when you decide to go. Form pilgrims before they leave with Scripture, reflection questions and a sense of what they'll see, so they can pray their way through it instead of touring it.
• Something will go wrong, and that's where the grace is. Lost luggage, a middle seat and companions you didn't choose are part of the pilgrimage. Help people see them through a spiritual lens and offer them up.
• Ask what to leave behind. Packing is a spiritual exercise too: what do I need to bring, and what do I need to let go of?
• Practice your story. People at home will ask, "How was it?" Help pilgrims prepare a two- to three-minute answer, because the graces of a pilgrimage aren't given for them alone.
• Answer the "so what?" Ask every pilgrim to name one thing they'll change, big or small.
• Take the parish with you. Gather prayer intentions, send postcards to sponsors, collect testimonies, and invite those who stay home to watch the Pope's Mass together.
• Pilgrimage isn't only for those who can fly. There are holy places within driving or walking distance in your own diocese.

About Joan Watson and John Paul Lichon

John Paul Lichon is the founder and CEO of Verso Ministries, a Catholic pilgrimage apostolate based in South Bend, Indiana. He spent ten years in parish and college ministry before starting Verso in 2016, after World Youth Day in Kraków. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree in theology through Notre Dame's Echo program.

Joan Watson is Verso's pilgrim formation manager. She was director of faith formation for the Diocese of Nashville, where she made pilgrimage part of adult formation, and she has worked for the Church for twenty years. She is the author of Making a Pilgrimage: A Companion for Catholics and Opening the Holy Door. Together, Joan and John Paul host the In Via podcast.

Resources Mentioned

• Verso Ministries
• Lead a group with Verso, for parish, diocesan and school leaders
• In Via podcast
• Verso's startup story, John Paul's account of Kraków
• World Youth Day Seoul 2027, theme "Take courage! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33)
• Joan Watson, Making a Pilgrimage: A Companion for Catholics (joanwatson.faith)

Support Our World Youth Day Pilgrims

Marathon Youth Ministry is helping the Sisters of Bon Secours and the Diocese of San Diego take about 70 pilgrims to World Youth Day in Seoul, traveling with Verso. Please pray for us. To support a pilgrim, visit wydbonsecours.org, or pick up something from the World Youth Day collection at the MYM store; proceeds support pilgrims heading to Seoul.

Connect with Joan and John Paul

• Verso: versoministries.com and Instagram @catholictravels
• Joan: joanwatson.faith and Instagram @joan.m.watson

Keep Growing with Marathon Youth Ministry

• M2GO: teaching videos, practical articles, team exercises and a Discord community to help you plan, form and follow up with your group.
• Ministry Coach: support for the leader behind the ministry.
• The MYM Store: Church Podcast and World Youth Day gear.

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Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or iHeartRadio. If this episode helped you, share it with someone who's preparing for a pilgrimage, and a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other ministry leaders find the show.

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Recorded on Riverside (affiliate link).

The Church Podcast is produced by Marathon Youth Ministry and Stephen Herrera of Be Well Creative.