14 April 1984 – 14 April 2024:
40 years since the first youth gathering in St Peter's Square
At the San Lorenzo International Youth Centre, two days celebrate the memory and relevance of St John Paul II's insight
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first gathering of young people in St Peter's Square which was convened by St John Paul II in the Holy Year of the Redemption, the San Lorenzo International Youth Centre (CSL), with the patronage of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life and the John Paul II Youth Foundation, is organising two days dedicated to the remembrance and relevance of what was the seed of World Youth Days (WYD).
At 6pm on Saturday 13 April, a procession with the Youth Cross will depart from St Peter's Square and proceed towards the San Lorenzo International Youth Centre (Via Padre Pancrazio Pfeiffer, 24). At 7 pm, a Holy Mass will be celebrated by H. Em. Card. José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Finally, a prayer vigil and adoration of the Cross – “Rise up” – will conclude the day.
At 6:15pm on Sunday 14 April, the anniversary of the first youth gathering, the San Lorenzo International Youth Centre will host the celebration of Holy Mass presided over by H. Em. Card. Lazarus You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy. Following this, a moment to share testimonies will close the event.
The presence of H. Em. Card. José Tolentino de Mendonça and H. Em. Card. Lazarus You Heung-sik wish to symbolically create a bridge between the last WYD in Lisbon 2023 and the next WYD in Seoul 2027.
Finally, the young people of the San Lorenzo International Youth Centre - in view of the Holy Year 2025 - want to encourage their peers to begin again, with prayer and fraternity, from the Christian proclamation that provides hope for all. In his Message published last 25 March, on the 5th anniversary of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit, Pope Francis recalls that "In the current international context ... marked by so many conflicts, by so much suffering, I can imagine that many of you feel discouraged. That is why I wish to begin again with you from the proclamation that is the foundation of hope for us and for all humanity: ‘Christ lives!’.”
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Between 1983 and 1984, on the 1950th anniversary of the Resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Year of the Redemption was held in Rome. The programme of the Holy Year included the International Youth Jubilee which occurred close to Palm Sunday: it was 14 April 1984 when three hundred thousand young people from all over the world came to the city, hosted by about six thousand Roman families, for the first gathering of young people.
On that occasion, Pope John Paul II handed a wooden cross to the young people to symbolise "the love of the Lord Jesus for humanity and as a proclamation that only in Christ dead and risen is there salvation and redemption". Since then, the Youth Cross has become the symbol of successive World Youth Days. Since 2003, the cross has been joined by an icon of Salus Populi Romani, also donated by John Paul II.
The two symbols are kept in the San Lorenzo International Youth Centre (via Pancrazio Pfeiffer, 24) and are taken on pilgrimage to Catholic dioceses around the world in view of the international World Youth Days, at which they are always present.
Journalists and media operators wishing to participate should send a request, within 24 hours of the event, through the Holy See Press Office's Online Accreditation System at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti
For more information:
Fabiola and Tiago
Managers San Lorenzo International Youth Centre
info.csl@laityfamilylife.va
