I have arrived in Rio!!!!! #WYD #rio2013 http://t.co/1sXejir5VW

— SouthernCatholic (@SouthrnCatholic) July 22, 2013

Eight pilgrims traveled with Stephen Lenahan, the director of youth ministry at Atlanta’s Christ the King Cathedral, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They include young people from the cathedral, along with members of Life Teen and others from the Archdiocese of Atlanta for World Youth Day (WYD). Father Michael Silloway is part of the group, too.

Lenahan is using social media to share his window on the experience with others.

• To see photos, go to his Instagram page.
• For tweets, go to his Twitter page.

He’s also blogging about his experience with “Our Sunday Visitor.”  Here’s his first entry about arriving in Brazil.

The drive from the airport was, quite frankly, what you’d expect to see in Rio — many favelas or shanty towns. The poverty struck me in the first 30 minutes of our drive toward downtown Rio. Having been to the four previous World Youth Days, I started to get a little bit unsure of how the Church was going to pull off this event. It didn’t take long to figure out the hospitality and the spirit of the Brazilians is how Rio 2013 is going to go down in history as one of the best.

Father Silloway is also blogging.

For those people staying in the northern hemisphere, young people in Atlanta can celebrate World Youth Day.

World Youth Day Rally in Marietta – Holy Family Church to Host July 27

Music, praise and worship, a Brazilian Mass and Eucharistic Adoration are some of the activities taking place on Saturday, July 27, at Holy Family Church in Marietta, GA, to celebrate World Youth Day. Youth from around the Archdiocese of Atlanta will come together to unite in prayer with millions of fellow Catholics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The local celebration begins at 4 p.m.

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