SEOUL (SE): The Local Organising Committee for World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea, announced five patron saints who reflect the themes of truth, peace, and love that are at the heart of the youth gathering, according to an April 27 press release from the Committee for Communications of the Archdiocese of Seoul.
The five saints include Pope 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 evangelise.
The committee said that the lives of the chosen saints reflect issues relevant today, including persecution, migration, and social struggle, making them appropriate guides for the global event.
The selection process began in late 2024 and included a nationwide survey of young people, youth ministers, and pastoral workers, followed by a review of candidates and deliberation.
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.
“The patron saints play a fundamental role in the preparation for every World Youth Day,” said Kevin Cardinal Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. “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.”
Cardinal Farrell expressed his hope that the lives and witness of the five patron saints would “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.”
Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung of Seoul, president of the WYD organising committee, noted that each saint “offers a concrete path for living out the faith amidst the realities that young people face today.”
He said, “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.”
The organising committee said it will continue introducing the lives and spirituality of the saints through the official WYD Seoul 2027 website and social media channels, while also developing additional content and programmes to help young people engage more closely with their witness.
They also launched an interactive site, titled “Meet Your Patron Saint”, where users can take personality tests and interactive quizzes to see which saint they best match with.
