This year’s W.Y.D takes place less than three months after the conclusion of the Synod for Young People that was held in the Vatican last October.

Like most public writers, I was used to getting notes that were crude, crazy or even mildly threatening. Normally, I would say a quick prayer for these obviously troubled people and get on with my day. This time it felt different, precisely because the author wasn’t insulting or obviously deranged.

In cities across the country, local activists marched in support of a progressive agenda centered on economic justice, racial justice and immigrant rights.