By Stefanie Stahlhofen and Deborah Castellano Lubov
“I’m just excited to see the universal Church and so many young people from different countries coming together, looking to Jesus together, living for Him, and entrusting their lives to Him.”
This was a perspective expressed by a young Austrian participating in the Jubilee of Young People, Jul 28 to Aug 3, 2025, which has drawn youth from some 146 countries to the Italian capital.
Samuel, 20, from Austria’s second largest state of Stiria, and Theresa, 18, from the nation’s capital of Vienna, spoke at the Austria youth gathering during the Jubilee on the Aventine Hill in Rome on Tuesday, along with peers, all of whom expressed pure delight to share their faith with other young people during the widely-anticipated Holy Year event.
Drawing closer to Jesus
Moreover, they express joy to really feel and experience the unity of the global Church, feeling that we fully belong and that the Church truly needs each one of us.
“It is incredible to walk this journey with my faithful friends and draw closer to Jesus and God: adoration, contemplation, and in the evening just being able to quickly say, ‘Hey, let’s pray the rosary together.’ These are just beautiful shared moments.”
Faith gives strength
Reflecting on Pope Leo’s incessant calls for peace, a student, Samuel, and 22-year-old Stefan, explained how faith gives them strength in difficult times.
Samuel said that especially as a student, you notice it in society and even in school communities — the unrest, the wars, they really affect students, too.
“But I also notice in myself,” he said, “that faith is a force that helps me to deal with these situations and to process them in a healthy way.”
The way we live our faith together strengthens us
The same is true for young Theresa, who spoke to Vatican Media’s Stefanie Stahlhofen during the gathering.
“I believe that even when we go through crises, we have a strong community. You can see it at the Austria meeting — the smiles, and the way we truly live our faith together — that strengthens us. And I think if we keep doing that, things will turn out well.”
There are many types of peace when we talk about peace. What’s often missing in our generation is peace of heart. We’re lucky in Austria to live in a country at peace. But the peace of the heart — that’s something you can experience anew in the Church and at a festival like this. And I believe that’s often the kind of peace Pope Leo speaks about.”
Often standing alone in faith
“Of course,” she said, “we also pray for peace throughout the world — the Pope, the priests, all of us — but also for inner peace, because the Church truly sees each person individually, and every human being is a child of God.”
“I think it’s especially true that in everyday life, you often stand alone in your faith — you might not always be surrounded by believing friends, and you might feel on your own,” she said, “But, when you find a community that uplifts you, that helps you blossom in your faith and is a powerful sign.”
Global issues, and those closer to home
Theresa also expressed that the Jubilee has permitted a sharing of “that peace of heart” with others.
“Youth,” she acknowledged, “is often seen as a time of challenges or difficulty — but here it’s just so peaceful, so harmonious to see so many young people gathered together.”
Meanwhile, Stefan shared, “We’re truly living in a time with many conflicts and wars. Far too many people are dying, suffering injuries. But because many others are already talking about those global issues, I’d like to point to the conflicts closer to home — in families, among friends, in communities — where we see daily arguments and emotional wounds that often leave lasting scars.”
Hence, he expressed appreciation that in the context of the Jubilee, they have had the opportunity to discuss these other challenges facing families, friendships, and community, with one another, saying, “That has been incredibly encouraging.” – Vatican News
With material from the Austrian Bishops’ Conference.
