YOUTH JUBILEE IN ROME: WE WERE THERE TOO!

Millions of young people on the move through the streets of Rome; many kilometers, marked by the pedometer of the heart. A journey of hope directed toward Jesus, the true light that shines even in the darkness of our time. In Rome, rivers of young people, proud to wave their flags, with the healthy pride of those who know that differences do not define enemies but are a possibility of meeting the other outside one’s own solitude. As is customary, they exchange objects and sign each other’s T-shirts; everyone wants to take home a memory of the experience of having felt, at least for a few days, all brothers and sisters, friends, human beings, guardians of the image of Christ. Among these young people we were there too, coming from Palermo, Messina and Munich: a small group, but of different nationalities and different languages. We arrived by plane, some by train, we took part in some of the events organized in the city, we rode subways crowded with young people and their joy. We immersed ourselves in the tide of young people walking toward the Circus Maximus to approach the sacrament of Reconciliation.

The highlight was the experience of Tor Vergata, where an immense expanse of people experienced how the heart can be full with little or almost nothing material. Until late evening groups kept arriving and found places even outside the assigned sectors, and songs, dances and laughter resounded until a special moment: the vigil with Pope Leo and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. More than a million lively young people, always on the move, knew how to stop and be silent. Before our eyes, Jesus made of the many “one heart and one soul,” a prophetic image. Some of the young people came from countries at war, and for one night what woke them was not bombs but the tender “prank” of a sudden rain that did not spoil the night under the stars. On the morning of August 3, the Eucharistic celebration sealed an experience of Christian life that will hardly be forgotten.

Here is the echo of some of the young women of our group:

“My experience at the Jubilee in Rome in 2025 was incredibly touching. Particularly evocative was the night at Tor Vergata, where we all slept together and this special sense of community was strongly felt. The early morning Mass with the Pope was an unforgettable and intense moment that moved me deeply.” Sibella, 18 years old.

“It was a wonderful journey for me! I took a lot with me on a personal level and, above all, I found it very beautiful to talk with the priest during confession, even though I had always had a different idea of confession. That moment made me see things in a new light. Besides meeting different people, the Pope’s speech was also very beautiful.” Mariam, 20 years old.

“The days spent in Rome for the Youth Jubilee were marked by the strong experience of grace, fraternity and communion that I experienced. Seeing all those young people from every part of the world, all there for something or, rather, for Someone, changed the way I live my journey of faith. I feel less alone and spiritually united with the many brothers and sisters who everywhere try to build the Kingdom of God. I left with the hope of finding many answers to the questions I have long been asking myself about my vocation. I came back with many answers, with just as many questions, and with a strong awareness of what truly matters. I believe my experience at the Jubilee can be summed up by a phrase of the Pope himself spoken during the Vigil at Tor Vergata: ‘One never chooses something, but Someone.’ I experienced the Beauty and Goodness of the Lord together with the sisters, companions on the journey and on the path whom he placed at my side. I came back with a new heart and with much more than I expected to receive.” Morena, 19 years old.