On the one hand, it seems perhaps counterintuitive that one can grow his or her faith while standing in the middle of a sea of 2 million Catholics. Inward, personal journeys often seem a more common road to spiritual growth since spiritual growth is largely about an individual growing his or her personal relationship with God.

Not so, says Sister Adelina Garcia, who will lead a contingent of 11 pilgrims to World Youth Day-Krakow, Poland, July 24-August 1.

“Pope Francis talks about how evangelization is really not personal, it’s communal,” Sister Adelina said.

“You are like a little spark that helps make a bonfire. That’s what ‘The Joy of the Gospel’ is all about.

That evangelization, that spiritual transformation, Sister Adelina said, is not about memorizing dogma.

“It’s about touching hearts, touching minds, touching souls. Pope Francis said he wants us to roll in the mud, get messy, smell like sheep, make noise.”

With more than 30,000 Americans and an expected total crowd of 2 million Catholics worldwide headed to Krakow this summer, there will be plenty of noise.

The WYD Krakow festival will be Sister Adelina’s fourth — she has also experienced World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany; Sydney, Australia, and Madrid, Spain.

"Every World Youth Day has had a significant impact on not only the place it is held, but on a wider scale,” Sister Adelina said. “When Denver had WYD in 1993, a lot of young adults and young people opted to go into the religious life.

“In Sydney, the Australians told us themselves that they were a cynical people, but when they saw all those young people riding mass transit and singing songs, it was contagious. The people went, ‘Wow!’ and they began to change because of the spirit the young people brought to the city. Everywhere WYD has been, there has been a dynamic change not just there, but in the world because those who attend bring back their experiences and share them with their parishes.”

Nik Ruiz, who also attended WYDMadrid five years ago, clearly remembers the sharing, festive atmosphere.

Ruiz tells a story of a USA contingent of pilgrims mingling with a boisterous group of Italians.

“The Italian Catholics were singing and dancing, carrying the Italian flag. And then there we were, and we started waving the flag, chanting, ‘USA, USA, USA.’ ”

Before long, Ruiz remembers, the Italians were waving their group’s American flag chanting ‘USA, USA, USA!’ and the Americans were waving the Italian flag.

“It was just a little fraction of the joy and amazingness you feel with your global Catholic family at this event,” he said.

Roselva Ruiz, a parishioner with Holy Redeemer in Odessa who helps with the youth program there, said she has witnessed WYD transform her son.

“I can see Nik has a very personal connection with his God and that is something that me and his father could have never done,” she said. “He has allowed our church to nourish that by saying yes.”

Connie DeHoyos, whose two sons will attend the Krakow festival, says she is excited for the opportunity to enhance their growth.

“I am excited for these young people for the light they are going to get,” she said. “