The events will take place from July 28th to August 3rd with participants from 146 countries. For the first time, Alphonsian Day will be celebrated before the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rome.
From 28th of July to 3rd of August, thousands of young people will gather in the Italian capital to celebrate the Jubilee of Youth. The presentation press conference highlighted the participation of young people from conflict zones such as Lebanon, Iraq, Myanmar, Ukraine, Israel, Syria, and South Sudan, speaking of an “ideal embrace” between generations and cultures.
This will be one of the most anticipated moments of the Holy Year, which will see Rome open up to the world, including the areas tragically scarred by conflict, so that every young person, interacting with their peers, can feel an embrace and remain faithful to the call to be “sentinels of the morning” that Pope John Paul II relaunched 25 years ago.
Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, outlined the program for the days. The first half a million pilgrims will arrive on Monday, July 28th. To welcome them, 270 parishes, 400 schools, 40 after-school programs, Civil Protection centers, stadiums, and families have been mobilized. The day will also coincide with the start of the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries. Twenty refreshment points have been set up for young people, with accreditation for lunch and dinner. Dialogues with the City will begin on July 29th, with 70 events taking place in Rome’s squares on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On August 1st, the “penitential day” will take place at the Circus Maximus, with 200 priests taking turns every two hours under large tents set up to “offer relief” from the high temperatures. On August 2nd, starting at 9:00 a.m., the gates of Tor Vergata will open, and various bands and artists will entertain the faithful until 8:30 p.m., when the Vigil with Pope Leo XIV will begin. For the occasion, three young people from Italy, Mexico, and the United States will ask the Pontiff questions, which he will respond in their respective languages.
“A city ready to welcome the world” is how Rome is preparing for the Youth Jubilee events, according to Mayor Gualtieri. “The largest technological installation ever created for an event in Italy,” which includes, among other things, a 500-square-meter control room, will oversee the area hosting pilgrims: over 500,000 square meters. The intense heat will be addressed with the installation of 2,760 portable toilets and 2,660 refill stations, with 5 million bottles of drinking water and 70 nebulizers available. Special attention has also been paid to medical care, with 10 advanced medical stations, 43 ambulances, and four quiet zones for those needing a moment’s respite.
Alphonsian Day
For several months, young people from the Alphonsian Youth from various regions of the world have been preparing to participate in this Jubilee and, at the same time, to celebrate Alphonsian Day 2025 in Rome. For the first time, they will have the privilege of praying and giving thanks before the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Church of Sant’Alfonso, on Via Merulana, Rome.
Many of these groups of Young Redemptorists reflected on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” and were able to integrate their Christian formation and preparation with local Bible study days and community commitments.
This year’s Alphonsian Day transcends the usual youth gatherings, reviving the Church’s vision of youth ministry as the formation of young people with a missionary vocation, who are not mere spectators of faith, but active participants in God’s plan. It invites us to embrace our baptismal identity to be missionary disciples who bring Christ’s redeeming love to the peripheries of society, especially to those drowning in despair, injustice, and spiritual emptiness. In the light of faith, this journey resonates deeply with the teachings and witness of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who dedicated his life to preaching God’s abundant mercy, especially to the most abandoned.
Among the young people coming to Rome to celebrate Alphonsian Day, we observed the warmth of mutual trust and friendship that spread among the delegates, who participated not only in local spiritual formation sessions but also in fun and meaningful activities designed to strengthen their bond as a family of young Redemptorists.
Source: Vatican News/Scala News
