Patron saints named for World Youth Day 2027

(OSV News) — Organizers in Seoul, South Korea, announced five patron saints for World Youth Day 2027 that reflect the themes of truth, peace and love that are at the heart of the youth gathering.

The five saints selected by the WYD Organizing Committee include: St. John Paul II, who founded the World Youth Day celebration; St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean Catholic priest, and companions who were martyred; St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants; St. Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery; and St. Carlo Acutis, the millennial saint known for his use of technology to evangelize.

According to the Asian Catholic news site Licas News, organizers said the lives of the patron saints reflected on issues relevant today, including persecution, migration and social struggle, making them appropriate guides for the global event.

The process of choosing the event’s patron saints began in late 2024, including a survey of young people, youth ministers and pastoral workers, followed by deliberations by the organizing committee, Licas News reported.

Volunteers also studied the lives and spirituality of the saints chosen to prepare prayers and their respective symbolic representations. Among the symbols chosen were a crozier for St. John Paul II and a computer for St. Carlo Acutis.

Commenting on the announcement, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, said the patron saints “play a fundamental role in the preparation” of every WYD.

“They invite young people, formators, and pastors to reflect on the gift of God’s call, on our baptismal, priestly, religious, and marital vocations, encouraging us to respond to it with generosity and courage in following Christ, who has conquered the world, as the theme of the upcoming WYD reminds us,” he said, according to Licas News.

Cardinal Farrell expressed his hope that the lives and witness of the five patron saints “inspire young people around the world, especially in contexts marked by difficulties and persecution, to see that holiness is not a distant ideal, to fix their gaze on Christ and to respond generously to His call.”

Korean Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung of Seoul, president of the WYD organizing committee, noted that each saint “offers a concrete path for living out the faith amidst the realities that young people face today.”

“I hope that young people will discover in these saints examples for their own lives and, through the journey of preparation for World Youth Day, forge a deep spiritual bond with them,” he said.

The official website for World Youth Day 2027 was updated with biographical information on each saint. Organizers also launched an interactive site, titled “Meet Your Patron Saint,” where users can take a short quiz to match with one of the five saints.

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