Under the fading light of a Roman sunset, the sprawling space of Tor Vergata filled with hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims. They gathered for the Jubilee of Youth’s pre-vigil, an evening rich with prayer, music, and testimonies—voices from many nations and languages joining together in hope and faith.

Among this vast crowd were three young believers whose stories of rediscovery and transformation offered a glimpse of God’s quiet, powerful work in human hearts.

Antoine Saint-Claire, 18, from France, grew up in a faithful Christian family where Mass and sacraments were familiar, though his faith felt routine. Watching peers who prayed with passion and intimacy stirred a yearning within him. On a pilgrimage to Lourdes, during a moment of adoration before the Eucharist, he experienced a profound encounter with Christ’s love. “I now know I am loved,” Antoine shared, “and I want to love in return with all I am.”

Gustavo Eterno, from Brazil’s Shalom Catholic Community, recounted a journey from emptiness to renewed joy. Music, once a personal refuge, lost its meaning as he drifted away from God, leaving him disoriented. Then, in Eucharistic adoration, he found the love he had been seeking. Now a seminarian, Gustavo dedicates his life to praising the Lord and guiding others toward that same joy.

Olimpia Iacono, a young Italian physician, described how her vocation deepened beyond her medical calling. A mission trip to Argentina and her care for a terminally ill patient revealed the universal Christian call to love. In the patient’s hospital room, she witnessed suffering transformed into grace, demonstrating how simple acts of compassion reflect God’s love.

Though different in culture and experience, these stories converge in a shared truth: when hearts open to God, routine transforms into encounter, sorrow becomes song, and love flows outward, touching a world in need of hope.

Their testimonies remind us that faith is not a distant ideal but a living reality of God’s love stirring in everyday lives, calling each person to respond. In a world often marked by uncertainty, their hope shines as a quiet but persistent light. See the Festival of Unity and Hope livestream here

Prayer Pointers:

1. Pray: for young believers to personally encounter Christ and live boldly in their faith amid today’s challenges.
2. Pray: and ask God to use music, testimonies, and acts of love to draw many into His presence and joy.
3. Pray: that Christ’s love overflows through simple acts of kindness, bringing hope and healing to hurting hearts.

Prayer for the Pilgrims of Hope

Lord God, thank You for awakening faith in young hearts. Let their lives radiate Your love, comfort the broken, and inspire a world in need of hope. Draw many to know and follow You through their witness. Amen

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13

More: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2025-08/pre-vigil-jubilee-youth-testimonies-young-pilgrims-tor-vergata.html