Amid the warmth of early August, one million young Catholics gathered in Rome to celebrate the Jubilee of Youth, answering the call of the pope to be pilgrims of hope. Sparking from the initiative of some of the members of the St. Kwinten’s community, a group of twenty people traveled together from Leuven to the Eternal City, uniting different backgrounds, languages, and occupations under one mission – to live the Jubilee.
One could say the entire journey was a pilgrimage of hope, from its inception until the end. At first, unsure of how many we would be, we hoped others would join us and complete all the spots we thought we would fill. As we arrived in the city and faced closed doors at our accommodation, we hoped the reservation had actually come through (and it did!). And when we walked through the crowds under the blazing sun, we hoped not to lose anyone on the way. In the absence of a flag to identify us, we took a stalk from the field to guide us, a token of our diversity and simplicity. Yet the journey prepared for us was much more than merely meeting our immediate needs or desires.
We found hope in the conversations with one another, in asking why we were there and where we came from. We heard from those of us who dreamed of seeing the pope, some who simply were curious, and those moved by the desire to build together the Church of today, tomorrow, and always. We were blessed moreover by the encounters with people beyond our group, realizing that whenever someone wanted to start a Rosary or a Divine Mercy chaplet in the bus, people from around the world would suddenly join in. We discovered that the whole city could become our community –part of the great family of the Catholic Church – as a testimony of the whole world called to be united in Christ. And at the summit of our trip, we met the pope at the field of Tor Vergata; and, praying with him and the tides of people waving flags from all over the world, we renewed our awe at the grandness of God made present in the Eucharist and in His Church.
For many of us, one of the most moving moments of the weekend was the Prayer Vigil, in which we gathered with Pope Leo to pray before the Holy Sacrament. Saturday evening had begun with roaring crowds, eager to get a glimpse of the pope and perhaps a blessing, but soon the noise gave way to melodic music and then to a profound, reverent silence revealing the sacredness of the moment. It became clearer than ever that this wasn’t a tourist trip but a pilgrimage. We weren’t there for a good time –nor even primarily to see the pope – but instead to unite together in prayer for the greater glory of God. Other highlights included the Sunday Mass with the Holy Father and his response to three questions from the youth, words we encourage everyone, whether they were present or not, to (re)read and reflect upon.
We returned home with many memories: seeing the pope from closeby, walking through the Holy Doors, visiting Rome’s great landmarks, eating plenty of pizza, surviving days without a working shower, braving Rome’s overwhelmed transport system… But above all, we arrived with a mission: to continue our pilgrimage. We were gifted with a chance to experience the hope of walking this Path to Christ together, and it is on us – with the grace of God – to bring this back to our everyday lives and the communities we are part of. Perhaps now that a few weeks have gone by we may evaluate how we are doing and, if the road seems rough, come together, grab a stalk and continue walking, with the Church, toward Jesus.
We give thanks to everyone who dared to join this crazy adventure, especially Fr. Pako, for his invaluable spiritual guidance, and to the Pastorale Zone of Leuven for their support in making this possible.
Youth of Sint-Kwinten
