By Fr. Mark Mossa, SJ
I’m not sure that I would have believed it – until it happened. As I stood with hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world, the crowd grew silent, and we – alongside Pope Leo XIV – fixed our gaze on Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament. The quiet and prayerfulness contrasted with our earlier experience of contemplating the beauty of the Sistine Chapel with a few hundred other tourists, as museum docents vainly tried to achieve something resembling silence under that magnificent ceiling.
These poignant moments of a week spent in Rome each in its own way captures the wonders and challenges experienced by the nearly 40 students, staff and faculty from Loyola University New Orleans, Regis University, Rockhurst University and Saint Louis University who traveled there for this year’s Jubilee of Youth.
Some were Catholic, some not; many were abroad for the first time. Some were lured by the thrill of travel and history, others by deepening faith. All found unexpected gifts, lifetime memories, new friendships, and a sense of awe, not only at the beauty of Rome’s churches, but also in the shared enthusiasm of fellow “pilgrims of hope” from all over the world. Jostling crowds in a city which sometimes seemed unprepared for them brought frustrations, but also opportunities to meet fellow travelers and make friends. These 40 pilgrims returned with stories of hopes realized, as well as many surprises.
Avila Ruiz, from Regis University, had some sense of what to expect: “My mom went to the Jubilee of Youth 25 years ago,” she said. “I grew up hearing about how the experience shaped her, and I always wanted to go myself!”
Not only did Avila share her mother’s experience, but she also found a connection with young Christians of times past. “I could see from the art they left behind that their hopes and prayers were not very different from mine.”
What many didn’t expect was how some of the hardships would also enrich their experience. Elsie King, from Saint Louis University, expressed her surprise that the heat and the sweat, the long lines, and the three-mile pilgrimage to the closing vigil and Mass became her favorite part of the experience.
“My perspective shifted to focus on how beautiful it was that we got to experience this suffering, and that so many people traveled from all over the world to unite this suffering to the suffering Jesus bore,” she reflected.
Anna Muenchen, who accompanied the group from Rockhurst University, was similarly inspired by her students’ resilience. “Students didn’t complain about long lines and were not upset that we were missing an event. Rather they talked joyfully with other pilgrims experiencing similar challenges.”
Still, many found the relatively more organized U.S. National Pilgrim Gathering at St. Paul Outside-the-Walls to be a powerful oasis. Loyola New Orleans student Megan Stempkovski said, “Bishop (Robert) Barron delivered a beautiful message of finding your mission and reflecting on those who pilgrimaged before us … how St. Paul pilgrimaged and ultimately how Jesus was the holiest pilgrim – reminding me that Jesus pilgrimaged around many cities, but he also traveled from heaven to the Earth for a relationship with me.”
Elsie King also found the holy hour at the gathering quite profound, noting, “Christ came, fully present to us, in a tiny host, reminding us of how he humbled himself through the Incarnation, coming to us to save us.”
A highlight of the Jubilee was that it fell during the week of the Feast of Saint Ignatius. Father Fernando Álvarez Lara, SJ, and I, there with Regis and Loyola respectively, both delighted in the privilege of concelebrating the liturgy in the Church of the Gesú with Superior General Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, and fellow Jesuits from around the world.
The timing also enhanced each group’s experience of visiting and celebrating Mass in St. Ignatius’ rooms. Saint Louis University Campus Minister Michael Schreiner found a deeper appreciation for our Jesuit roots there. “The simplicity of the rooms and what was dreamed there, and how we are a part of that dream … helped me feel more rooted in the Ignatian tradition,” he said.
Beth Brin, from Regis’s campus ministry, likened her journey to Ignatius’ own. “Seeing St. Ignatius’ shoes was something I was looking forward to,” she said. “Having the chance to sit in silence and contemplation in the room where they are displayed was a particular grace.”
These are but a few of the many graces that students and staff shared. Regis student Austin Price said, “This showed me the true ‘contemplatives in action’ side of the Jesuit tradition of Regis University.”
Molly Kimmey, from Rockhurst University, said, “I want to approach others with the same love, kindness and joy that I received from everyone I met in Rome. This experience has changed how I see my faith and challenged me to live it more fully.”
Father Mark Mossa, SJ, is an assistant professor of religious studies and the program director of Catholic Studies at Loyola University New Orleans.
Top Photo: Father Mark Mossa, SJ, celebrates Mass in the rooms of St. Ignatius with students from Loyola University New Orleans and Fordham University.
