You’d think you are dreaming! The scenes before your eyes seem almost beyond reality, a million young men and women, thousands of flags, one hundred and fifty nations, all radiating energy and enthusiasm. Encounters and conversations with young people from every corner of the globe. Wonderful music and voices. A profound silence during the Eucharistic adoration. Absolute excitement as soon as the Pope appeared. A quest. Understanding. A powerful taste of hope.
This was what we experienced together as a group of twelve young SDC members during the Youth Jubilee Days in Rome. Our pilgrimage began on 24th July, 2025, when we set out for Assisi, the city of St Francis. In its streets we came face to face with the places where Francis discovered the greatest treasure of all and left everything behind to follow the Master, Jesus. As a group, we shared moments of prayer and moments of recreation, especially walks through the beautiful Umbrian countryside. It’s no wonder St Francis was moved to worship God through the beauty of creation.
At the start of the Jubilee week, we travelled down to Rome. We were staying at Fiera di Roma, a large exhibition centre on the outskirts of the city, which for these days had been converted into dormitories. Here, we experienced what it really means to be a pilgrim: sleeping on mats on the floor, taking showers in freezing cold water, and enduring a journey of about an hour and a half to reach the centre of Rome. Yet, despite this lack of comfort, our spirit of joy and unity grew stronger with each passing day. In the streets, train stations, underground stations, churches, and even at historic sites, we met many young people who, on seeing the Maltese flag, would come over to chat. We were deeply inspired by groups from different countries who would gather under the shade of a tree for prayer. As a group, we made it a point to meet daily for prayer and to participate in Mass, even when celebrated in other languages.
On Saturday 2nd August, 2025, we began the long journey to Tor Vergata, the site of the vigil and Mass with the Pope. For these two days, we joined the group of the SDC candidates who had also come for this experience; another great blessing. The long walk under the hot sun, carrying our heavy rucksacks, was not easy, but the atmosphere at Tor Vergata, which we had already caught a glimpse of along the way, made it all worthwhile. We truly lived an experience of faith, faith filled with joy and enthusiasm, together with the thousands of others who had gathered there for the same purpose. How beautiful it is to meet, speak, and share what you have with others. How enriching to witness different realities within the Church, while at the same time offering others a glimpse of the beauty of our own Society. Truly, as Pope Leo XIV described it, a shower of graces which the Lord pours forth upon his Church.
The moments that remain most dear to me are the times of silent prayer during the Saturday evening vigil, when you could feel God speaking to the hearts of all the young people present, each one carrying their own life’s journey. The Sunday Mass with the Pope, after a night blessed even by a short shower of rain, was another moment of grace. In that moment, you begin to realise that, now the Jubilee experience is drawing to a close, it is time to live out and share with others what you have received.
As I thank God for granting us this opportunity as members of the SDC, I pray that we, the young people of Tor Vergata, may never lose hope in building a better world by faithfully living out the vocation to which we have been called.
Karol P De Bono
SDC member
