Vicariate of Rome
Press and Social Communications Office

Press Release

Diocesan Youth Day

On Sunday 26th the young people will gather in front of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme and then set off for St John Lateran. In the cathedral of Rome, at 11.00, the Mass will be presided over by Cardinal De Donatis

A morning together in the name of prayer, walking, sharing. It will have a new formula this year, the diocesan World Youth Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday, 26 November, on the solemnity of Christ the King. The diocesan youth pastoral office, which is organizing the initiative illustrates the programme: the appointment is at 8.00 in front of the basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, for a moment of welcome and prayer to start the day in a meaningful way. Then the young people will enjoy a breakfast offered by the diocese. The young participants will then make their pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Saint John Lateran, carrying the WYD Cross. Once they arrive at the basilica, at 11.00, there will be a Mass presided by Cardinal Vicar Angelo De Donatis and concelebrated by the auxiliary bishops, which will also be broadcast live on Rai Uno. After the Eucharistic celebration, those who wish to do so will be able to eat a packed lunch at the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary.

Cardinal De Donatis wrote a letter to young people in the diocese in recent days, to announce the event of 26 November: “This will be an extraordinary event”, he writes, “which will give us the opportunity to celebrate, with our heart still in Lisbon, a moment of communion and prayer. I am sure that this diocesan World Youth Day, on the occasion of the Solemnity of Christ the King, will be a moment of spiritual growth and friendship, and an opportunity to share our experiences and our hopes with young people from all over the diocese”.

“The diocesan World Youth Day”, reflects Don Alfredo Tedesco, director of the Youth Pastoral Care Office, “is much more than a local meeting of young Catholics. It is an opportunity to experience a global dimension of faith, to share experiences with peers from all over Rome, and to feel part of an international community. The diocesan World Youth Day represents an important step in preparation for the main event of World Youth Day, an extraordinary moment of encounter and an opportunity to live faith in a global context”.

Journalists and media workers who wish to attend must apply, up to 24 hours before the event, exclusively via the Holy See Press Office accreditation system, at: press.vatican.va/accreditamenti.

21 November 2023