Early in the morning of Sunday 27th July 2025, twenty-two candidates and pre-candidates, together with three SDC members, set off for Rome. Many of us had visited the Eternal City before, but this journey promised something far deeper, a true pilgrimage.
We were among the first to arrive at the Fiera di Roma conference centre on Sunday morning. There we left our mats, sleeping bags, and backpacks filled with the necessities for the coming days. Over the next few hours, the venue swelled with the joyful energy of 25,000 young people from every corner of the world.
This pilgrimage touched us in four powerful ways:
1. Walking in the Footsteps of Faith
We visited the four major basilicas of Rome (among other places) as part of the Jubilee pilgrimage, passing through the Holy Doors together. These sacred moments connected us more deeply to the living history of the Church and to the mercy of God.
2. Encountering the Universal Church
From every continent, young people came with hearts open to friendship. We prayed together, shared our stories, and exchanged small tokens — such as pins and wristbands. At Tor Vergata, we joined over a million young people in a vigil of profound silence and joy, rejoicing in the presence of the Pope, whom we were blessed to see up close, and participating in Holy Mass together.
3. Growing as a Community
As an SDC group, our bonds deepened. The second part of our pilgrimage took us to Assisi, where we stayed until 7th August. There, walking in the footsteps of St. Francis, we prayed, admired breathtaking views, enjoyed meals together, and shared many moments of laughter and reflection.
4. Meeting Christ
During our pilgrimage concluded to St. Peter’s Basilica, during mass, the celebrant welcomed us with the words: “When you go back home you will tell others how many people you met and how many beautiful places you saw. But may each of you say: ‘I met Jesus.'” Truly, we encountered Jesus in the Eucharist, Confession, Prayer, in the beauty of Creation, and in the many people we met along the way.
A Word from Pope Leo
We return home with these words from Pope Leo’s homily on Sunday, August 3rd, 2025 resounding in our hearts: “The fullness of our existence does not depend on what we store up or, as we heard in the Gospel, on what we possess. Rather, fullness has to do with what we joyfully welcome and share. Buying, hoarding and consuming are not enough. We need to lift our eyes, to look upwards, to the ‘things that are above’, to realize that everything in the world has meaning only insofar as it serves to unite us to God and to our brothers and sisters.”
May this pilgrimage bear fruit in our lives, and may we continue to walk as pilgrims who have truly met Christ.
