From mid-July to early August, the Diocese of Parramatta sent 32 young people on pilgrimage to experience the Jubilee of Youth in Rome.
Whilst in Rome, the pilgrims experienced workshops and concerts before an overnight vigil and Mass with Pope Leo XIV.
Hannah Portelli, Facilitator – Youth, from the Diocese’s Mission Enhancement Team, offers her reflection of their time in Rome.
A reflection on the pilgrimage journey through Greece in the footsteps of St Paul was published earlier in the week.
A million young people from all around the world made the pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth. Proclaimed by Pope Francis before his passing, this Jubilee Year of Hope is a year of spiritual renewal that occurs every 25 years.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, encouraged the young people of the Diocese of Parramatta to participate in this Jubilee Year celebration in Rome to connect with the wider Church and deepen their faith. Answering that call, a group of 32 pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta travelled from Australia to Greece and through to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth Week.
Rome was an intense yet incredible experience that we will cherish forever. There were endless churches to admire, relics to venerate, pizzas to eat, historical sites to see and a million other people all with the same plan.
Diocese of Parramatta pilgrims at the Colosseum. Image: Hannah Portelli/Diocese of Parramatta
One of the unique opportunities of the Jubilee Year is passing through the Holy Doors. In his message of proclamation of the Jubilee Year Spes non confundit, which means “Hope does not disappoint,” Pope Francis invited everyone, through this act, to have an “intense experience of the love of God that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ”. Our pilgrims were able to pass through four of the Holy Doors in Rome: St Peter’s Basilica, St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Paul Outside the Walls. Each basilica displayed a unique beauty and drew us deeper into community and prayer.
Having just journeyed through Greece, visiting many Greek Orthodox churches, there was something different about these basilicas. We were overwhelmed by the grandeur and beauty of each of the basilicas, yet there was also an element of familiarity.
Diocese of Parramatta pilgrims entering the Holy Doors at St Peter’s Basilica. Image: Hannah Portelli/Diocese of Parramatta
Our celebration of the Mass provided a ritual that we had participated in many times before. Although we were halfway across the world from Australia, there was a communal sense amongst our group of arriving home. Encountering Jesus in the Eucharist in these holy places lifted our experience from an admiration for the Church to an encounter of intimacy with Our Lord. We felt very blessed to celebrate Mass in St Peter’s Basilica and St Mary Major. We felt we were no longer visitors, but part of the family of the universal Church.
The Jubilee of Youth was officially opened with a Mass celebrated by Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation. At the conclusion of Mass, he announced the arrival of Pope Leo XIV. At that announcement, the square was filled with joy radiating through the half a million young people present. As I looked around trying to locate the Pope, I witnessed cheering, clapping, crying, jumping, praising and a thousand phones trying to capture the moment.
“Esta es la Juventud del Papa! [We are the Youth of the Pope]” I can still hear the chant ringing in my ears.
Maybe it was the statues of the saints surrounding the square, the complete joy of the youth, or perhaps it was the Holy Spirit, but standing there amongst people of different cultures and languages, united in joy, felt like a glimpse of heaven.
A glimpse into the everlasting joy we will experience when we meet God face to face.
We were blessed to not only see the Pope at the opening Mass, but also at the sleepout in Tor Vergata. The approximate 20km walk to Tor Vergata was long but provided opportunities for us to grow deeper in community. The journey together gave us time to share our stories and pray together. We supported each other through the difficult portions of the walk with encouragement, music and laughter.
Pilgrims on the walk to Tor Vergata, on the outskirts of Rome, for the Jubilee of Youth Vigil and Mass. Image: Hannah Portelli/Diocese of Parramatta
By the time we arrived, although exhausted, we were grateful for the shared experience that made us closer to each other and closer to God. It is evident that the youth of our universal Church are well and truly alive. We are ready and willing to take on challenges such as walking half a day to sleep in a field with a million other people.
As we sang “Jesus Christ, you are my life,” smiles were joined by tears of happiness. Once again, those who had been strangers a moment before, were united in the special opportunity to meet the Pope, the head of our Church and our Holy Father. As Pope Leo said at the vigil: “The Lord Himself gathers us together to form a community, not just any community, but a community of believers who support one another.”
During the Jubilee of Youth week liturgies, we hung onto each word Pope Leo said, waiting to hear words we could understand. When he spoke in English, it was such a comfort and a joy. His words spread courage, purpose and faith. He witnessed to and encouraged a life lived for Jesus. People ran from side to side to try and get a glimpse of Pope Leo, yet in all of this, he remained humble. With this same humility, he led the million young people through adoration, prayers and Mass.
Pope Leo XIV carried a crucifix with young people during the Jubilee of Youth Vigil at Tor Vergata, on the outskirts of Rome. Image: Vatican Media
He invited the young people to say: “Thank you, Jesus, for calling me. My desire is to remain as one of your friends, so that, embracing you, I may also be a companion on the journey for anyone I meet. Grant, O Lord, that those who meet me may encounter you, even through my limitations and frailties.”
It is clear that the Pope carries the youth of the Church in his heart. He wants to see us live in accordance with God’s will and to be fulfilled through that.
As we return home, our pilgrimage does not end here. We return with greater trust in Christ, deep spiritual friendships and hope for the future of our world.
The Jubilee of Youth Pilgrimage aligns with the priorities of Mission and Formation in the Diocesan Pastoral Plan.
View images of the pilgrims celebrating the Jubilee of Youth in the Vatican and across Rome.
