10,000 youth attend Jesus Youth gathering in B’luru
PANAJI
Describing JAGO 2025 not merely as the inauguration of a conference but as the launch of a movement of hope, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao officially declared the Jesus Youth gathering open on December 28, 2025, in Bengaluru.
The event, held from December 28–31 at Christ Academy Educational Institutions, brought together over 10,000 young people from across India for a journey of faith, fellowship, and spiritual renewal.
Speaking at the opening, the Cardinal noted that the launch coincided with the conclusion of the Jubilee Year 2025, also known as the Jubilee of Hope, observed across dioceses worldwide, reminding participants that hope is not something humans manufacture but a gift received when trust is placed in Christ, who sends believers forth as His witnesses in the world.
Reflecting on the theme ‘Generation Hope’, Cardinal Ferrao affirmed the Church’s confidence in young people, stating that the Church does not view them with anxiety or fear, but with trust.
He said the future of the Church’s faith, mission, and renewal passes through the hearts of young people who dare to take Christ seriously.
Addressing the Indian context, the Cardinal acknowledged that young people today live amid immense opportunities but also intense pressures — to succeed, to compete, to prove themselves, and to conform. Explaining the meaning of JAGO, the Cardinal said it is a call to wake up and reach out — to awaken from comfort, indifference, and fear, and to reach out to the poor, the lonely, the wounded, and those who are searching.
JAGO 2025, through its journey of encounter, healing, hope, and going forth, invited young people to rediscover their identity as missionary disciples.
Cardinal Ferrao stressed that the Church does not ask young people to withdraw from the world, but to transform it — beginning with families, campuses, workplaces, parishes, and digital spaces.
He expressed gratitude to youth mentors, priests, religious sisters, seminarians, and bishops present, thanking them for walking with young people in faith and hope. Their presence, he said, was a reminder that the Church journeys together across vocations and generations.
Cardinal Ferrao also acknowledged the unseen sacrifices, prayers, and silent struggles of those who accompany the youth and prayed that the gathering would renew their joy in mission and strengthen their resolve.
Concluding his address, Cardinal Ferrao said India needs witnesses of hope, the Church in India needs young hearts on fire with faith, and the world today needs the courage, creativity, and compassion of its youth. As pilgrims of hope, he urged them to walk together, support one another, and never be afraid to go against the current for the love of Christ.
