Published on 18/08/2025
Body
It’s not every week you stand in a field with a million other young people, waving flags, singing, and hearing the Pope call you to greatness. It’s not every week you walk the steep tracks of the Italian hills in the footsteps of a 7th-century saint. For the young pilgrims from our Dioceses, along with pilgrims from the Dioceses of Achonry and Elphin, this summer was a chance to step out of routine and into something bigger.
Rome was first – the Jubilee of Young People. Mornings began with catechesis led by such well-known figures as Bishop Robert Barron and Sr Mary Grace. There were visits to the Basilica of St Clemente and the Church of St Isidore, and long queues to enter the Holy Doors. On the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, Bishop Michael Duignan celebrated Mass for the Irish pilgrims, urging them to “let the life of Ignatius… challenge you to examine how friendship with God can help you to live your one and only life to the full.”
Then came Tor Vergata – a huge open space filled with flags, a million young people, music, and silence in equal measure. Pope Leo XIV told the crowd, “You are the sign that a different world is possible… Do not settle for less. Let faith and hope be your witness to the ends of the earth.” For many, that was the moment the trip shifted from a nice experience to a personal challenge.
From there the group headed north for the Camino di San Colombano. They walked from Mezzano Scotti to Bobbio – steep climbs, and narrow tracks.They laughed, sang, prayed, and shared their stories with others. At the Basilica of St Columbanus, they stood by the saint’s tomb and thought about the choices that led him here – choices that shaped his life and the lives of those he met.
The journey ended in Milan with Mass at the tomb of St Ambrose. By then, the question had shifted from “what will I do when I get home?” to “how will I live differently now?”
Pope Leo’s words have stayed with them: “Dear young people, Jesus is our hope. Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less.”
Join the next local youth event: info@clonfertgalway.ie