Jubilee of Youth – Hope does not disappoint
The Jubilee of Youth took place in Rome from 29th August – 3rd August. AMRI both led a group of Religious and facilitated many Religious to attend this great event. It was estimated that over a million people attended. It is estimated that around 50 younger religious attended either directly with AMRI, or with some Young Adult Ministry groups attached to various ministries. Some travelled with their local diocese too. Around 600 in total travelled from Ireland in total
Here Gerard Gallagher, Secretary General of AMRI reflects on this Pilgrimage to the Jubilee of Youth.
I attended my first Jubilee of youth during the Great Jubilee of 2000. At the time I was in charge of a World Youth Day office in Catholic Youth Care, Dublin. At that time, we brought nearly 2000 young people, from all over the Dublin diocese.
Since I began my work with AMRI it has always appealed to me to reach out to our younger generations of religious. In fact, our Strategic Plan A Future with Hope notes the concern of older religious concerned about what will happen to religious life. As well as who will support those who are following them in their vocation. It seemed a perfect balance to continue to serve those in leadership in AMRI and provide ways of supporting and connecting our younger religious.
Religious Life is changing. It is not ending. Even though some in religious worry for its future. I am always delighted to hear on the grapevine or through Vocations Ireland that there are some new people entering religious life, or at the least discerning their vocational call.
I first pitched the idea to AMRI that we should be represented at the World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023. To the surprise of many there was interest in various religious, being together as pilgrims for a week of prayer and fellowship. These encounters confirmed that AMRI and through the work of Vocations Ireland needs to continue to provide opportunities for younger religious to be pilgrims and return to their various congregations open to reaching out to young people.
Whilst the AMRI group in Rome appeared to be small, we did support many religious to attend. There was a high demand for Religious Visas for religious living in Ireland who needed one for travel. The Nunciature worked and assisted closely each of these applicants.
In Rome we stayed together in a beautiful religious house run by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters. We had twenty Salesians from Ireland and some Spiritan priests and Sisters from the OLA and MSA (Our Lady of the Apostles and Missionary Sisters of the Assumption) Scattered across other groups included Carmelites, Jesuits, Franciscans, Oblates, Dominican Sisters of Nashville and Salesians. I also observed some religious living in Rome attending some of our common events.
Yes, this group was made up of many religious who are not Irish but living and working here. This is a new reality of our Church accommodating new missionaries here to assist with the wider mission of the Church. Pope Leo has referred to the young people as Missionaries of Hope. I do think that our Church needs hope.
Throughout the week all Pilgrims were invited to walk through the Holy Doors of the four great Basilicas of Rome. It was very touching to see the reverence and silence in which each pilgrim crossed the thresholds.
On Tuesday, July 29, the Jubilee for Young People opened with fervour and reverence during a large Mass in St. Peter’s Square attended by some 120,000 Catholics from around the world. The week began with Archbishop Rino Fisichella Prefect of the Dicastery of Evangelisation leading a mass for hundreds of thousands in St Peters square. It was jammed packed. As a reward for those who were able to stay to the end,
Pope Leo made a surprise appearance. This caused a prolonged uproar. The Holy Father told them: “The world needs messages of hope, you are those messages” and together they chanted, “We want peace in the world.”
It truly was an international affair with flags from almost every country.
Later in the week our group took the opportunity to take part in some of the local Catechesis arranged by local groups. Others explored the city, visiting the many churches. We prayed at the mortal remains of Pier Gorgio Frassati, who will soon be made a saint.
On the Wednesday morning we had the privilege of attending our first Papal Audience with Pope Leo. Welcoming the young people especially among the other guests, it was hard not to notice his joy at seeing so many in attendance. Here he reminded young people, ‘Dear young people, I invite you to pray that these days of faith, reflection, and friendship may bear fruit for good.’
On Friday many pilgrims took the opportunity to attend confession in Circus Maximus. Over 200 stalls were set up and thousands of people passed through there during the day.
On Saturday morning we all gathered in St Peters Basilica for mass let by Archbishop John Kennedy originally from Dublin and is secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He challenged everyone and especially young people to find ways to bring love to world, starting with our families and friends. This is how we can bring the message of Jesus to the world. He challenged everyone to find and discern their purpose in life in order to make a difference. He reminded them that Hope does not disappoint. Read Archbishop Kennedy’s Homily HERE
Shortly before they left for Tor Vergata he met many of the Artists and musicians who would animate the event. Pope Leo greeted said the following to them,
“Accompany these young people who are in great need of finding true joy, true happiness—which we all find in Jesus Christ.”
Later in the evening we gathered in Prayer the Vigil in Tor Vergata. I was totally taken aback by Pope Leo, walking and carrying a cross with young people as he approached the main stage. It had been over thirty years since I witnessed a Pope walking and doing some unaided. Through this beautiful vigil he responded to questions that were presented by young people.
The first question was asked by Dulce Maria, 23, from Mexico. Given the “fleeting and often illusory” nature of online connections, she asked, how can we “we find true friendship and genuine love that will lead us to true hope”?
In his reply, the Pope stressed that although social media offers an “extraordinary opportunity” for dialogue, it can “be used to lull us, to make us addicted to consumerism”. He stressed that friendships can only be truly lasting if they are founded in God, and, quoting St Augustine, emphasised that “It is the one who loves God in his friend who truly loves his friend.”
The second question came from Gaia, 19, from Italy, She asked about the “climate of uncertainty” which “paralyses” many young people, and prevents them from making important life choices.
In his reply, Pope Leo emphasised that these choices are not “a matter of choosing something, but of choosing someone.” When we make a choice, the Pope said, we decide “who we want to become”.
The final question was posed in English, by Will, 20 years old and from the US. How can we “truly encounter” Jesus, he asked, and be sure of his presence “even in the midst of trials and uncertainties?”
In his response, Pope Leo urged the young pilgrims to “reflect on your way of living”, “seek justice”, “serve the poor”, and “adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament”. Read More Here
All pilgrims stayed at the vigil site and slept in their various locations. There was a lot of noise, young people singing and playing music until around midnight. After a short sleep the pilgrims were awoken to some beautiful music on the main stage.
Pope Leo then did something remarkable on his arrival on the main stage. He took the microphone and thanked young people for staying the night and he hoped they were ok. A true pastor!
During his homily he reminded everyone, “Dear young people, Jesus is our hope,”
“We are not made for a life where everything is taken for granted and static, but for an existence that is constantly renewed through gift of self in love.” “This is why,” he said, “we continually aspire to something ‘more’ that no created reality can give us; we feel a deep and burning thirst that no drink in this world can satisfy.”
“Knowing this,” he said, “let us not deceive our hearts by trying to satisfy them with cheap imitations!” Rather, he suggested, “Let us listen to them!” Read More Here
Finally as we all return hope as missionary disciples; disciples of Hope. I do hope this pilgrimage is inspirational to our religious who attended. As they continue to exercise their ministry, may the reach out to young people and invite them to live the path of faith and explore their purpose in life.
Just a final thought. Many of the Congregations of AMRI in their earliest configurations appealed to young people, because of the radical nature of the mission of their founders. Therefore, it important to reconnect with and reach out to young people with your charism. You will not do that unless you create spaces for them to get to know you. There are many ways this can continue. There are younger people who have not encounter the work that many of our religious has done here or overseas. I loved witnessing the conversations between young people and the religious walking together on the streets of Rome. It is not the first time Rome has hosted these conversations and it wont be the last.
With creativity and the use of the digital spaces there is an opportunity to appeal to younger generations. I am not proposing reopening houses of formation, just an openness to supporting those who still have active young adult ministry programmes. Continue to support Vocations Ireland and those individual religious who continue to make a difference.
That will be the challenge for 2027. At the end of mass the dates for the World Youth Day were announced, August 3-8 2027 in Seoul in Korea. Korea has a special place in the Irish Missionary movement as many of the First Martyrs were Irish Columban missionaries. Read about the Columban Martyrs HERE Young people who died for their faith. Over the coming months AMRI will explore a path to Seoul to walk with courage in the path of our Irish Missionaries and connect the past to the future of the young church.
Read about our Pilgrimage in The Tablet HERE
