Along with group of young adults from Westminster Diocese, I went on a pilgrimage to the Jubilee of Youth in Rome to witness to Christ.
At the beginning of our pilgrimage, we walked in the footsteps of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, following the pilgrim trail up the mountain to Poggio Frassati, an altar dedicated to him. This trail is hiked by many faithful, the end is barely visible while hiking, but one can get a glimpse of what heaven could look like. At the top, there were two moments that particularly impressed me. Firstly, some pilgrims received the Sacrament of Confession overlooking the beautiful mountain peaks and Sanctuary of Oropa, and we had Mass there, celebrated by Fr Robert Smialek. The second moment was singing the Regina Caeli in unison at the altar of Poggio Frassati, with a 360° view from the mountain top. Climbing the last 100m of this steep hike was rather more challenging with dizziness and breathlessness, but once at the top, every pain and ache left my body.
In Sassello, we listened to a very close friend of Blessed Chiara ‘Luce’ Badano at her tomb. It was an emotional moment filled with tears, sadness, courage, joy and strength, through which Blessed Chiara reminded us that life is beautiful and that, just like Jesus, we should carry our cross and walk in faith. Blessed Chiara Badano’s smile is so captivating that I wonder if she was smiling in her final moments.
Assisi has a very special place in my heart, as it is where St Francis of Assisi and St Clare come from. It is a place filled with many saints, churches and basilicas. One can feel divine presence protecting this town. The body of the first millennial saint, Blessed Carlo Acutis, is displayed in a tomb in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, where St Francis stripped himself of earthly possession. His head is positioned facing the Blessed Sacrament, and he is dressed in a sports jumper, jeans and sneakers. Blessed Carlo Acutis teaches us to believe and live like Jesus Christ did, and to pray the holy Rosary daily.
In Rome, we walked through the Holy Door at Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome and prayed at the tomb of our late Pope Francis. We the parish church of which Cardinal Vincent Nichols is the titular archbishop, and we also had the opportunity to visit the Venerable English College. Our very own Bishop Nicolas Hudson, a former Rector of the College, gave us a guided tour. This is the oldest Catholic seminary for priests from England and Wales. He also taught us about the English Martyrs who lived here at a time when Catholics were persecuted and killed in England. To complete the Jubilee indulgence, we received the sacrament of Confession, had a Eucharistic celebration and prayed for Pope Leo’s intention. Some of us also had the opportunity to walk through the Holy door at the Basilicas of Saint Mary Major, St Peter, and St. John Lateran, a spiritual and humbling experience.
Despite all these grace-filled moments, I still found myself wrestling with a question: What was my purpose on this pilgrimage? With this question in my mind, as soon as we reached Tor Vergata, for the big finale of night vigil on the 2nd of Aug, I ventured out to seek answers and had the chance, along with thousands of others, to see Pope Leo up close along with thousands of others up close. Then it dawned on me: we were all meant to be there. Not by coincidence — but by design. I was called to witness the glory of God. On 3rd August, the Jubilee celebration ended with the Mass celebrated by Pope Leo.
Without faith in Jesus, there is no hope. Without hope, there is no salvation. We are all called to be witnesses of Christ, to live according to his teaching. Jesus came down from heaven to show us the way and lead us to his heavenly kingdom. Life is beautiful, and it does get challenging and in times like these we should seek help from all these saints for courage, prayers and guidance.