Issued by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media - Jordan. Editor-in-chief Fr. Rif'at Bader - موقع أبونا abouna.org

Published on Friday, 17 October 2025
Jesus’ homeland youth revive the virtues of faith, hope on a pilgrimage to Italy

lpj.org :

Despite being unable to participate in the Youth Jubilee held from July 28 to August 3, 2025, due to the ongoing war that made travel impossible, the youth of Palestine insisted on carrying the light of hope to the world. Their journey to Italy became a faith-filled pilgrimage under the theme “From Palestine, We Carry Hope,” from September 28 to October 9, 2025.

 

More than just a geographical journey, this pilgrimage became a profound spiritual and humanly uniting experience. It embodied the youth steadfast hope in Christ that continues to be their guiding light despite the challenges and pressures facing the Holy Land.

 

The group included young men and women from various parishes across Palestine, accompanied by Faten Assaid, General Secretary of Jesus’ Homeland Youth, and Sarah Dibeis, Regional Coordinator for the Middle East Youth. Spiritual guidance throughout the pilgrimage was provided by Fr. Louis Salman, General Spiritual Chaplain of the youth, Fr. George Haddad, Deputy Spiritual Chaplain, and Fr. Abdallah Dababneh, Vocations Director of the Diocese of Jerusalem. They were joined by Sisters Rita Zayyadat and Rozan Faraj of the Rosary Sisters. They led the youth in moments of deep reflection and offered explanations about the holy sites they visited—places that tell the enduring story of the Church’s faith through the ages.

 

The first stop was Rome, where the youth visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and offered morning prayers in thanksgiving for the grace of pilgrimage during the Jubilee of Hope proclaimed by the late Pope Francis. They carried the Jubilee Cross in a prayer procession toward the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, and were blessed with the grace of meeting His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This encounter deepened their sense of belonging to the universal Church and renewed their desire to be living members of the Body of Christ, witnessing to Him courageously in these difficult times.

 

The next destination was Assisi, the city of St. Francis, where their visit coincided with the saint’s feast day. They also prayed at the tomb of the young Blessed Carlo Acutis, drawing inspiration from his life as a modern example of holiness. The group then continued to Padua, where St. Anthony rests, and to Venice, where they admired the splendor of St. Mark’s Basilica, before concluding their journey in Genoa.

 

In Genoa, the youth met with local young people as part of a cultural exchange fostering unity among Christian youth worldwide. There, at the Church of the Annunciation, they celebrated the Holy Mass presided over by Fr. Louis Salman, concelebrated by Fr. Abdallah Dababneh and several local priests. The atmosphere was filled with prayer and gratitude, and the celebration was crowned by the renewal of the vows of Sisters Rozan and Rita on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The event concluded with a fraternal gathering between the Palestinian and Italian Christian youth, where they shared their faith experiences and visions for the church.

 

At the end of the pilgrimage, H.E. Ambassador Issa Kassissieh, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Holy See, welcomed the group at the Embassy, commending their mission of conveying to the world the image of a faithful and steadfast Palestine—witnesses of peace and hope from the heart of the Holy Land.