Jubilee Rome 2025 – JMV Colombia
In the Vincentian Marian Youth, we believe that every encounter with Christ leaves a deep mark on the heart and strengthens our journey as Church. Today we share the experience of Harving and Daniela, a couple from VMY Colombia, who participated in the Youth Jubilee in Rome 2025. What they lived is a sign of how the Lord acts in the lives of young people who open themselves to His grace: He transforms, renews, and enkindles in them the desire to be missionaries of hope.
Harving and Daniela’s Experience
“Participating in the Youth Jubilee in Rome was for us an experience that marked our life and our faith in a way that still profoundly moves us today. As a couple, with a love that has been strengthened along the way within the Marian Vincentian Youth, arriving in Rome meant not only a physical journey but a true pilgrimage of the heart.”
From the very first moment, seeing the streets of Rome filled with young people from all nations —146 countries waving their flags, singing in different languages, and united by the same faith— we felt we were before a living miracle: A Church that is young, joyful, hopeful, and on the move. Every look, every song, every smile of the brothers and sisters we met —some old friends, others we’ve just encountered— reminded us that we were not alone on this journey, that we are part of a great people walking toward God.
The welcome Mass, on July 29th, was presided over by Monsignor Rino Fisichella. At the end of the Eucharist, we received the surprise of the Pope’s greeting, who reminded us:
“You are the salt of the earth […] the light of the world (Mt 5:13–14). And today your voices, your enthusiasm, your cries —all for Jesus Christ— will be heard to the ends of the earth. Today you are beginning some days, a journey, the Jubilee of Hope, and the world needs messages of hope; you are this message, and you must continue bringing hope to all. Let us pray for peace and be witnesses of the peace of Jesus Christ, of reconciliation, this light of the world that we are all searching for.”
One of the most intense moments was the vigil with Pope Leo XIV. We were there, among a million young people, kneeling under the same starry sky, and we felt the Holy Spirit strongly blowing, renewing our lives. The Pope, with his warm words and his gaze that embraced everyone, pierced our hearts: he invited us not to be afraid, to trust in Christ as a firm rock, to make courageous decisions in our lives, and to cultivate true friendships in Him.
In the midst of songs, tears, and shared silences, we experienced something unforgettable: the certainty that God loves us and calls us, as a couple, to be witnesses of that love in every space of our lives. We felt that our love —strengthened in prayer and service within VMY— is also a path to proclaim the Good News. At that moment, we understood that to love one another in Christ is also to be missionaries of His Kingdom.
The moment of adoration was indescribable. In the silence of a million hearts, kneeling before Jesus in the Eucharist, we felt a warmth filling us with peace. We looked at each other, hand in hand, and knew that our story was woven into something much greater than ourselves: God’s plan. It was a moment of tears of joy, sincere repentance, and deep forgiveness.
Today, as we remember those days, we thank God for allowing us to live this experience of encounter, mission, and hope. The Youth Jubilee in Rome not only brought us closer to the Pope and the Church, but also drew us closer to one another and, above all, to Jesus and Mary, our Mother and model of the Vincentian vocation.
We returned with a burning heart, with the desire to continue building community, to bear witness in the midst of our realities, and to invite other young people to discover that in Christ lies true joy. Because, as the Pope reminded us that night: friendship in Christ can change the world, and true love always has the face of mission and hope.
With deep love,
Harving and Daniela – JMV Colombia
Conclusion
The experience of Harving and Daniela reflects what it means to be a Vincentian youth on mission: to discover the living Christ in the universal Church, to be transformed by His love, and to return with a heart ablaze to proclaim Him in daily life. May their journey in the Youth Jubilee in Rome also be an invitation for all to trust in the Lord, to walk with Mary, and to bear witness that in Jesus we find true joy and the hope the world needs.
