Experience of a lifetime for Jubilee youth
International
A party of 53 Australian pilgrims, made up of 35 from Adelaide, two from Port Pirie and 16 from Sydney, has returned from Italy after having the experience of a lifetime at the Jubilee of Youth.
The pilgrims, led by Fr Noe Navarrete Apaez from the Neocatechumenal Way, visited Vicenza, Venice, Assisi and Rome during late July and early August.
Originating in 1964 amid the shanty towns of Palomeras Altas, near Madrid, the Neocatechumenal Way was defined by St John Paul II as ‘an itinerary of Catholic formation, valid for our society and for our times’.
Despite financial constraints which meant the Australian pilgrims slept in a gym for two nights and existed on little more than sandwiches at times, Fr Noe said the trip was a huge success.
It turned out to be an extremely busy visit.
Vicenza on July 26 was the first stop, where the group met the Neocatechumenal mother community of Francesco and Antonella and celebrated the Eucharist with them before visiting the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters in Belluno.
From Vicenza they headed to Venice, arriving at St Mark’s Square via a ferry before a brother of the Neocatechumenal communities of Venice gave them a tour of St Mark’s Basilica.
The Dolomites were next up with a visit to the Sanctuary of Pietralba where Pope St Paul VI and Pope St John Paul II had spent some time. The Eucharist was celebrated out in the open amid the beautiful mountain scenery. The same day the group drove to Lake Carezza, where they received a catechesis on creation and were given the opportunity to spend some time in the middle of nature in silence.
Leaving Affi the next day, they drove to Rome, stopping in Scandicci to visit the parish church of San Bartolomeo in Tuto before departing for Assisi where they visited the Porziuncola on day one where a friar talked about St Francis and the importance of the historic chapel.
The next day, after morning prayer, the group walked across Assisi stopping in at the Basilica of St Clare where the Cross of San Damiano has been relocated. They then visited the Church of St Mary Major which has the tomb of the blessed Carlo Acutis, and finally the Basilica of St Francis.
Rome was a particular highlight and included morning prayer with other Australian pilgrims on Friday August 1 and a visit to the basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls.
However, the standout was a huge gathering at Rome’s University of Tor Vergata on the weekend of August 2 and 3.
More than 100,000 young people saw Pope Leo XIV arrive by helicopter early on Saturday evening before taking the Popemobile along a route packed with thousands of people waving flags from their home countries to a vast, domed stage where he addressed the audience and answered questions in Italian, Spanish and English.
Mass was celebrated by Pope Leo a few hours later on Sunday and attended by the Adelaide pilgrims.
A vocations meeting was held on Monday August 4 with Kiko Arguello, one of the initiators of the Neocatechumenal Way. More than 5000 young boys and about 5000 girls, including three from Adelaide (Sofia Albornoz, Shaiem Shakeel and Tomas Calderer Benítez) agreed to begin a process of discernment either to the priesthood, religious life or to participate in evangelisation.
Shaiem said that witnessing so many young people open their hearts to God in the gathering was unforgettable.
“In that moment, I too felt the Lord’s call to a vocation. With encouragement from those around me, I stood up to accept it – a moment that I will carry with me always,” he said.
“This pilgrimage was not just a journey across cities, but a journey of the soul filled with love, beauty, faith and the unmistakable voice of God.”
Shaiem also found the peace and simplicity of the Franciscan Brothers in Assisi to be deeply moving.
“Visiting the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a modern-day saint close to my own age, was especially powerful,” he said.
“It was inspiring to see how his life continues to touch so many hearts.”
Tomas was also particularly enthused about the visit to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi where Carlo Acutis lies and where the group heard a talk about the young boy and were able to see his body.
“This was a very strong moment as hearing of the life of Carlo Acutis showed me that to be a saint isn’t to try to be a very good person who tries to do great things, but to know who I am, to know that God is my Father and that he loves me as I am,” he said.
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