The Seoul, South Korea, WYD Organizing Committee has selected five saints that embody the themes of truth, peace, and love at the heart of the youth gathering.
The five saints are: Pope John Paul II established World Youth Day in 1985 after witnessing more than 300,000 young people gather at the Vatican for the International Youth Jubilee, according to the WYD Foundation. During the 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto, Pope John Paul II said that he had initially wanted to create an event where young people could meet Christ and learn to spread the Gospel.
Andrew Kim Taegon was the first Korean priest and helped establish the Korean Catholic Church. Born in 1821, he was ordained in 1845. He worked to help missionaries spread the faith amid persecution, for which he was arrested. Despite being tortured in prison, he continued to send letters of encouragement, bearing witness to his deep faith and hope. He was martyred in 1846. Pope Saint John Paul II canonized him in 1984.
Frances Cabrini was born in Italy in 1850. Despite significant health struggles, she answered a call to a religious vocation. In 1880, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Initially, she wanted to serve as a missionary in China, but at the request of Pope Leo XIII, she traveled to New York. There, she ministered to marginalized Italian immigrants. She crossed the Atlantic Ocean 30 times. She established hospitals, schools, convents, and orphanages in the United States, South America, and Europe.
Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan around 1869. She was kidnapped and sold into slavery. In 1883, she was sold to Callisto Legnani, an Italian consul. Two years later, Legnani moved to Italy. There, she became the babysitter of Mimmina Michieli, the child of Legnani’s friend. Josephine accompanied the Michielis to a catechetical institute run by the Canossian Daughters of Charity, where she was drawn to Catholicism. Josephine was baptized and confirmed in 1890. Later, Josephine was freed from slavery after an Italian court case concluded. The Canossian Sisters and the Patriarch of Venice intervened on her behalf. Josephine entered the order in 1893 and lived as a witness of faith and hope. Josephine died in 1947 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.
Carlo Acutis, born in England and raised in Italy, is known as the first millennial saint. He developed a deep love for the Eucharist at an early age and used his self-taught computer programming skills to spread the Gospel online. Acutis died of leukemia at age 15 and was canonized in 2025 by Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, expressed hope that the lives of the five patron saints would inspire young people around the world, especially those in difficult or persecuted contexts, to see that holiness is not an unattainable ideal. He encouraged them to fix their gaze on Christ and respond generously to his call.
The selection process began in late 2024 with a nationwide survey of young people, youth ministers, and pastoral workers. This was followed by deliberation by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC).
A group of young volunteers then spent two months studying the saints’ lives and spirituality, preparing prayers and symbolic representations through reflection and discussion.
Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung of Seoul, president of the local organizing committee of WYD Seoul 2027, said, “These patron saints span continents and generations. Each of them offers a concrete path for living the faith amid the realities young people face today. I hope that young people will find examples in these saints for their own lives and form a deep spiritual bond with them through the journey of preparing for World Youth Day.”
The official World Youth Day 2027 website was updated with biographical information on each saint. Organizers also launched an interactive website titled “Meet Your Patron Saint.” Presented in the style of personality tests and interactive quizzes popular among young people, the feature invites users to answer a series of multiple-choice questions and discover which saint most closely matches them. This initiative encourages young people to view the patron saints not just as historical figures but as companions whose lives can still address the questions and aspirations of the present day.
