Catholic Mission is inviting youth groups, parishes, dioceses and schools from across Australia to make Cambodia part of their journey to World Youth Day 2027, through a unique pre-World Youth Day Mission Exposure trip from 27 July to 1 August 2027.
As young Catholics prepare to travel to the Republic of Korea for World Youth Day 2027, beginning on 3 August, many pilgrims will start their journey with a pre-World Youth Day experience, either within Korea or in another country in the region.
Catholic Mission’s Mission Exposure trip in Cambodia will offer Australian pilgrims one such pathway, providing an opportunity to encounter the life, faith and culture of local communities before joining young Catholics from around the world in Korea.
Endorsed by the Bishops Conference in Cambodia, the six-day experience will have a strong focus on encounter with local young Catholics, giving Australian pilgrims the opportunity to spend time with their Cambodian peers, share experiences of faith and discover how young people live out their mission within a different cultural context.
Hundreds of young people are expected to take part in the Mission Exposure trip before continuing their pilgrimage to World Youth Day.
The Mission Exposure trip is promoted as one of the options for a pre-World Youth Day experience, making it a truly international encounter aligned with this year’s World Youth Day theme: “Take courage! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).
With a long history of facilitating immersion experiences for students and adults both in Australia and internationally, Catholic Mission has seen how meaningful encounters can encourage participants to experience life, faith and justice from a new perspective.
“Catholic Mission with its wealth of experience, is offering this unique experience that will bring together youth people from Australia and Cambodia, to engage in the universal mission of the Church. This is a special opportunity to add so much more depth to the experience. A pilgrimage is about the journey and the transformational experiences we have, not the final destination,” shared Lawrence Gigliotti, Director of Programs at Catholic Mission, who is leading the development of the Cambodia Mission Exposure trip in collaboration with local partners.
Each experience is developed in partnership with the host community, with the simple idea of ‘being with’ rather than ‘doing for’. The program is also being developed in collaboration with Harvest Journey, allowing the Mission Exposure trip to integrate seamlessly into the broader World Youth Day journey in Korea.
We invite dioceses, youth groups and schools to register their interest in the Cambodia Mission Exposure trip. For groups looking to explore other opportunities, Mission Exposure experiences are also available in Mongolia, Thailand, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
In 2027, the Republic of Korea will be hosting World Youth Day. This provides a unique opportunity for Australian Youth to participate in an immersive experience ‘Mission Exposure’ within Asia (specifically Cambodia), before attending the traditional World Youth Day events in Korea.
Register now
