Rome Jubilee 2025 – VMY Spain
The young people of VMY Spain lived with joy and hope the 2025 Jubilee in Rome. In the midst of the universality of the Church and the Vincentian charism, they experienced the grace of returning to their roots, of encountering God again, and of rediscovering the strength of community. Today they share with us their testimonies of faith and life.
Testimony of Joan Ruíz (Barcelona)
What encouraged me to go to the Jubilee was, in part, that after a bitter experience at WYD with another organization, I felt the need to live something different, to give myself another chance to reconnect with God and with my Vincentian roots. I have been linked to the Daughters of Charity all my life. I studied at their school, which eventually closed, leaving in me a certain nostalgia. However, thanks to Sister María del Mar, we took up much of the Vincentian charism again, and she was the one who encouraged us to participate in this Jubilee with VMY. And truly, it was an immense gift.
Rome was not just a destination on the map. This Jubilee became the place where God brought me back home, to VMY. After years away, I once again walked with young people who share my faith, my charism, and my desire to serve. Wearing the bandana again, walking in community again, feeling once more part of this great family… it was like rediscovering myself.
Every prayer, every hug, every song reminded me of who I am and what I am called to be. And in the midst of it all, I felt St. Vincent whisper to my heart: “I will not stop as long as there is a poor person to help.” Those words stopped being just words; they became a mission.
By God’s pure grace, I have felt the desire and the responsibility born in me for VMY to return to Catalonia. I don’t want this flame to remain only in me; I want other young people to also experience what I have lived: a living faith, a community that sustains, and a love that becomes service.
I return with a heart full, with tears that are no longer of nostalgia, but of hope. Because I know this is only the beginning.
Testimony of Alba Ballesteros (Puertollano)
I wouldn’t know how to begin this reflection without feeling that I leave out so many moments, emotions, and faces that marked this journey. Setting out alone was one of my greatest doubts and, at the same time, my greatest motivation. I didn’t know what to expect, but I carried a backpack full of fears, plans, and a sincere desire to let myself be surprised.
Soon I realized something that pierced my soul: I was not alone. Even though I came without apparent company, God had already prepared the ground and placed specific people on my path to accompany me and remind me that His love is real, close, and tangible.
In my daily life, rush and routine had been extinguishing the flame of my faith. I hid behind “I don’t have time” and distanced myself from what truly fills me: prayer, silence, the encounter with God. This Jubilee has been for me both a shake and a caress; a reminder that God never tires of seeking me and waiting for my return.
I rediscovered that VMY is not just initials: it is a family, a home, a community that supports and sustains. And although I don’t know what the future holds, I know that I was, am, and will be part of it.
Of all I have experienced, I remain with the pillar of service: looking into the eyes of the poor and finding there the face of God. Love that does not turn into concrete action is only empty words. This encounter has restored my joy, my hope, and the certainty that I am a beloved daughter of the Father.
If there is something I would like to share, it is this: do not be afraid of being alone, because you never are. God walks with you — sometimes in silence, sometimes hidden behind a smile, but always present. Always faithful.
“Having God in your boat does not guarantee there will be no storms, but it does guarantee that the boat will never sink.”
Conclusion
The Jubilee in Rome 2025 was not just a gathering, but a new sending. What our young people experienced is a reminder that VMY continues to be a home where faith becomes mission, where hope turns into service, and where the love of Christ drives us to go out and meet the poorest.
May these testimonies also ignite in others the desire to walk together in this great Vincentian family. To Jesus with Mary, Pilgrims of Hope!
