We have become used to World Youth Day held in various countries. But World Youth Day in 1993 turned out to be an event that surprised most prognosticators, and certainly remains one of the most significant World Youth Days.
Held on August 10-15, 1993 in Denver, Colorado, Pope John Paul II presided over the event, which was the first World Youth Day hosted in North America and an English-speaking country.
Few secular media outlets even bothered to send reporters to cover the event…perhaps they believed their own propaganda that young people were no longer interested in religion…especially the Roman Catholic Church. It was predicted that no more than 20,000 people would attend the World Youth Day program of catechesis, liturgies and cultural events.
It therefor came as a shock to them that during the massive five-day event over 90,000 young people from over 100 different nations gathered at Mile High Stadium for the Stations of the Cross.
The event culminated with an outdoor Mass at Cherry Creek State Park on the Solemnity of the Assumption.the vigil and final Mass took place in 1993, the future Saint John Paul II began his visit to Denver.
An estimated 750,000 young pilgrims attended the closing Mass at Cherry Creek State Park. Often remembered as a “spiritual revolution”, it is credited with revitalizing the Catholic Church in the United States and sparking numerous vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
It remains arguably the largest gathering and one of the most significant global events ever hosted in the state.Legacy Site:
Today, visitors to Cherry Creek State Park can visit “Pope Trail,” Butterfly Hill, and a gazebo that mark the historic location of the closing Mass.