22 July 2014 marked exactly a year since Pope Francis traveled to Brazil to lead World Youth Day. More than 3 million people from 175 countries welcomed him.

If you are wondering whether or not you should attend World Youth Day 2016 in Kraków - take a look at this excellent highlights video from the Australia pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2013 to Rio! Re-live the moments that brought millions of Catholics together from around the world, witness the faith alive on the streets of Rio... and get your heart ready for WYD Kraków!

Catholic News Service looks at the impact of the first Latin American pope's visit to his native continent, for World Youth Day 2013.

Musically speaking, one of the most moving moments of World Youth Day was marked by a Vigil in Rio's Copacabana beach. Grammy-nominated singer Matt Maher, sang on his knees during a Eucharistic Adoration ceremony, as millions of youths and the Pope prayed before the Blessed Sacrament.

Yes, World Youth Day Rio has ended, but we shot so much footage it’s still coming in, in a big way. One of my favorite memories from WYD, was our trip to Corcovado. Atop this lush mountain, is an iconic statue of Jesus – “Christ the Redeemer”. Standing tall for nearly a century, this statue represents the man who claimed he was God incarnate.

……

Cardinal Pell and a group of Sydney pilgrims have spent the last few days at the magnificent Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina - debriefing on their WYD pilgrimage to Peru and the huge events in Rio de Janeiro with Pope Francis.

……

The amazing thing about World Youth Day, is that young people always respond with enthusiasm to the Pope - regardless of which Pope is leading World Youth Day! What does this say about the Catholic Church and the role of the Holy Father? In this video, Fr. Robert Barron reflects on past World Youth Days, and talks about the specific messages that Pope Francis had for the Church in Rio de Janeiro.

After a highly successful event, organizers for World Youth Day in Brazil released final attendance tallies, with two of the days surpassing the 3 million mark. In all over 3.5 million pilgrims took part in the events for WYD, even though only 427,000 pilgrims registered. Attendance increased as the week went on. On Tuesday, July 23, 600,000 people participated. However, by that Friday, the number of pilgrims swelled to 2 million.

On Wednesday 24 July 2013, Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, delivered an inspiring Catechesis address to English-speaking pilgrims during World Youth Day 2013 in Rio de Janeiro. You can listen to his address in full in this video!

Pope Francis is now back in Rome after celebating World Youth Day in Brazil. His first international trip as pontiff was marked by touching speeches and unforgettable moments. Take a look at this short video of highlights from all the moving and inspirational moments that made World Youth Day 2013 such a life-changing event for so many!