A Pilgrim’s journey at the Jubilee of Youth in Rome

Six Goan priests (from left to right) Fr Blaise Lobo, Fr Selwino Pereira, Fr Melito D’Costa, Fr Peter D Souza, Fr Roy Michael and Fr Clifford Fernandes, shortly after concelebrating the Mass with Pope Leo.

PANAJI

The Jubilee of Youth in Rome from July 28 to August 3 was not just a journey across miles, but a pilgrimage deep into the heart — a reminder that faith is alive, young, and joyfully universal. 

The Jubilee of Youth is part of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, which takes place roughly every 25 years. The 2025 theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ drew thousands of young Catholics to Rome for a week of prayer, catechesis, confessions, cultural events, concerts, and pilgrimages to the Holy Doors of Rome’s major basilicas.

Six of us priests and 41 youth represented the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman under the leadership of Diocesan Youth Centre Director Fr Blaise Lobo, who coordinated the pilgrimage along with Dorothy de Albuquerque from Travco Holidays. 

We departed Goa on July 28, traveling to Rome via Doha, where Jubilee organisers provided accommodations — mostly on the city’s outskirts. My group stayed at a Red Cross centre, sharing a dormitory with foldable beds. Life was simple, reminding us that a pilgrim’s journey is about faith, not comfort.

FIRST DAY IN ROME

On the evening of July 29, our first day in Rome, we gathered for the Jubilee Opening Mass at 7 pm. St Peter’s Square was overflowing with youth from every corner of the globe. Flags waved joyfully above the crowd, filling not only the square but the piazza leading toward the Vatican.

I was blessed to enter the square along with my brother priests and find a place near the obelisk at its centre. The liturgical celebration was presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation and chief organiser of the Jubilee.

Then came an unforgettable moment. After the final blessing, a surge of emotion rippled through the crowd. In a completely unexpected gesture, Pope Leo XIV appeared in his Popemobile, circling the square, smiling, blessing, and greeting the young pilgrims. When he passed by just a few feet from me, I was awestruck. It was a moment of joy, humility, and deep spiritual consolation.

FOUR HOLY DOORS

Our pilgrimage to the four Holy Doors began with St Peter’s Basilica. Walking from Castel Sant’Angelo down Via della Conciliazione, we entered through the Holy Door, each pilgrim carrying the Jubilee Cross in turn.

The Pilgrim Walk along with Indian flags to the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica. 

We also visited the Archbasilica of St John Lateran (Cathedral of the Pope as Bishop of Rome), Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls (built over the tomb of the Apostle Paul) and Basilica of St Mary Major (the largest Marian church in Rome).

NIGHT OF PRAYER

We joined 1.5 million youth for a day of music, testimonies, and prayer at Tor Vergata, a symbolic “periphery” of Rome. At 8.30 pm, Pope Leo XIV led the Eucharistic Adoration. When the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, silence fell and the entire crowd knelt together — a sea of cultures united in worship. I felt the Holy Spirit sweep through the field. It was truly mesmerising.

We spent the night outdoors in sleeping bags under a light drizzle, but no one complained. The next morning, Pope Leo celebrated the concluding Jubilee Mass. We priests from Goa were honoured to concelebrate with him — a moment of profound blessing.

CONFESSIONS AT CIRCUS MAXIMUS

On August 1, the ancient Circus Maximus became an open-air confessional. Two hundred confession stations, nearly 1,000 priests, and confessions heard in 16 languages — a living sign of God’s mercy. 

Despite the summer heat, young pilgrims queued patiently. I was privileged to hear confessions in English, guiding youth from many nations, and I also received the Sacrament from a priest from Australia.

PERSONAL PILGRIMAGE IN ROME

In our free time, we explored the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Pantheon, and the Basilica of St John Lateran. 

We prayed at the Church of the Gesù, home to the right hand of St Francis Xavier, and climbed the Dome of St Peter’s Basilica for breathtaking views. We even descended into the Catacombs of St Sebastian, early Christian burial grounds along the Appian Way.

ASSISI, PADUA, AND BEYOND

After Tor Vergata, our group traveled to Assisi. We celebrated Mass at the Sanctuary of the Renunciation, where Blessed Carlo Acutis lies. Monsignor Anthony Figueiredo preached powerfully on Carlo’s life and our universal call to holiness.

We also visited the tombs of St Francis of Asissi, St Clare of Asissi, St Anthony of Padua in Padua and St Mark the Evangelist in Venice and the Cathedral of Milan (Duomo di Milano).

These pilgrimages made my faith tangible. I have often preached about these saints — but standing where they rest was profoundly moving.

CARRYING THE INDIAN FLAG

Wherever we went, our Indian flag drew curiosity and admiration. Youngsters from different countries would come to take a picture with the Indian Flag. One evening at a parish fellowship, we played a friendly futsal match — Roma vs Goa — and, not to boast, but Goa won!

PAX ET BONUM

This journey deepened my faith and humbled my heart. Assisi, with its serene beauty, gave the world over 30 saints! Everywhere, the Franciscan motto ‘Pax et Bonum’ (Peace and Good) was visible. I carried home one souvenir: a small cross inscribed with those words, a reminder to live humbly, in peace, and in goodness.

GRACE OF MANY ENCOUNTERS

As I returned to Goa, I carried more than photographs or souvenirs. I carried prayers, blessings, and grace of countless encounters — from the silent adoration at Tor Vergata to the whispered absolutions at Circus Maximus, from the solemn walk through the Holy Doors to the simple joy of waving our Indian flag in foreign streets.

“Pax et Bonum” is no longer for me merely a Franciscan motto on a Cross; it is a daily call to live with peace in my heart and goodness in my hands, so that wherever I go, I may carry a little of the Jubilee’s light to others.

[The writer is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.]