To welcome WYD pilgrims, scheduled for the first week of August in Lisbon and Loures, the municipality of Cascais, in the district of Lisbon, has prepared more than 100 spaces, including schools, sports halls, sports and youth associations and several other partner institutions.

“We expect to host around 40,000 pilgrims in these facilities. In addition to these spaces, others coordinated by the Vicariate Organisation of WYD, equipment linked to the Catholic Church, such as colleges, seminars and various facilities, as well as in many families, including that of the mayor”, says the municipality led by Carlos Carreiras (PSD), in a response to Lusa.

It is estimated that, if all types of accommodation are considered, the number of pilgrims could reach 60,000. The municipality accounts for “one and a half million euros of direct investment, that is, of increased expenditure”.

There will be the “allocation of other municipal resources that do not lead to an increase in expenditure in relation to the annually budgeted, such as urban cleaning, reception spaces, logistical support, etc.”, according to the municipality.

During WYD, the Chamber will carry out several initiatives, which include the exhibition of a three-kilometre hand-painted mural that will be displayed along the route that Pope Francis will take in Cascais.

The objective is to welcome the head of the Catholic Church, who will visit the young people of the Scholas Occurrentes on August 3.

The mural was created by thousands of people from civil society in Cascais, such as students from public and private schools, dozens of associations (youth, sports, residents, among others), inmates from prisons located in the municipality, private institutions of social solidarity, workers at the Hospital de Cascais and workers from the municipality.

Between the 31st of July and the 6th of August, Eucharistic celebrations are planned, as well as the WYD Music Festival, with concerts to be held at the Cascais Hippodrome (with Diana Castro, Quatro e Meia, Cuca Roseta, Irmã, Tiago Nacarato, Orquestra Juvenil da Maré and Rita Rocha), a beach volleyball tournament in Carcavelos (with 400 participants).

According to the municipality, the Welcome Center and Espaço Saúde Peregrino will be open to support pilgrims, both at the Estoril Congress Centre, in conjunction with health centres, Cascais Hospital, firefighters, pharmacies and a telephone line.

On August 6, the final WYD concert will take place in Cascais, in the Estoril Casino Gardens. The Chamber points out that people can access the 'site' dedicated to World Youth Day in the municipality with information updated daily.

The WYD is considered the biggest event of the Catholic Church, where the visit of the Pope to Portugal should attract more than one million people, between the 1st and 6th of August.