Young people from the dioceses of Besançon, Belfort-Montbéliard and Jura: their experience of the Jubilee in Rome.
‘Our hope is Jesus.’ It is He, as St John Paul II said, ‘who inspires in you the desire to do something great with your lives, to become better, to improve society, making it more human and more fraternal.’
This statement struck me deeply after experiencing the Youth Jubilee in Rome in August 2025.
With a group of chaperones, we accompanied 155 young people from three dioceses in eastern France.
Starting with different expectations, we took a step together. This step led us towards holiness, towards a new discovery of God who is our hope.
So why did the young people of this world gather in this place, at the same time, with the same goal, despite unexpected adventures, fatigue and other unknowns? It is very simple. It is for Jesus, our Hope.
This testimony of a million young people is impressive: a living people of God from the four corners of the world with different cultures. They walk, they head towards Tor Vergata, the site of the Youth Jubilee, to meet God. An inner encounter with Christ. ‘This encounter with the Risen One changes our existence, illuminates our affections, our desires, our thoughts,’ Pope Leo tells us. I rejoice and sing the wonders of the Lord.
This encounter instils in every young person the hope of Christ.
Emma, a girl from the group, gives thanks and expresses her thoughts as follows: ‘I have truly experienced a wonderful pilgrimage that has allowed me to draw closer to God and to have encounters that will enable me to grow in faith.’
Manon, a new convert, confided in me: ‘I am happy to be able to share my faith with others. In my family circle, I don’t really have the opportunity to talk much about my faith because my family is not religious. This Jubilee gives me peace of mind and helps me to draw closer to God.’
Another aspect I would like to highlight are the words of Pope Leo: ‘Serve the poor and thus bear witness to the good that we would always like to receive from our fellow human beings.’
Being present alongside and with a young person in difficulty, following Jesus Christ and living the Gospel of love, I am aware that my most fragile brother among the young people I accompany is called to be there to encounter God and live this unique Jubilee event with dignity. I joyfully offered him my time so that he could fully explore God’s love and drink from a radical source: the faith that encourages him to draw closer to God through his work.
It is a unique and enriching experience. It is beautiful to discover other faces, reflections of divine love. It is wonderful to share, in large or small ways, our faith with others. It is moving to be witnesses and to bear witness to the faith of Christ in the midst of this multitude of young people, the future of the Church. It is you, Lord, who have done this.
‘Thank you, Jesus, for calling me. My desire is to remain one of your friends, so that, by embracing you, I may also be a travelling companion for all those I meet.’ St Augustine.
Sr Son Tran
