date: 04.08.2025.
Tens of thousands of pilgrims from 71 countries arrived at the 36th International Youth Prayer Meeting – the Youth Festival, which began in Medjugorje on Monday, August 4. At the beginning of the Youth Festival, the host, the parish priest of Medjugorje, Fr. Zvonimir Pavčić, welcomed all of the gathered. He also welcomed Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, the Apostolic Nuncio in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who presided over the Holy Mass on the first evening of the Youth Festival. Before the Holy Mass, the message of Pope Leo XIV, which he sent to all participants in this year's Youth Festival, was read by the Apostolic Visitor with a special role for the parish of Medjugorje, Archbishop Aldo Cavalli.
In his message to the young people, the Holy Father addressed them with the greeting of the Risen Lord: "Peace be with you!" and also referred to the motto of Youth Festival: "Let us go to the house of the Lord" (Ps 122:1).
"This verse speaks to us of the journey, of the desire that moves us toward God, toward His dwelling place, where we can truly be at home, because His love awaits us. How can we journey toward the house of the Lord without taking the wrong direction? Jesus told us, "I am the way" (Jn 14:6): He Himself accompanies us, guides us, and strengthens us on our journey," said Pope Leo XIV, and, emphasizing that language or culture are not barriers to encounter, he encouraged the young people who came to Medjugorje from many nations.
"There is a language stronger than any obstacle, and it is the language of faith, nourished by God's love. You are members of His Body, which is the Church: meet each other, get to know each other, share your experiences. Only in this way, walking together, supporting one another, illuminating each other's path, we will reach the house of the Lord," said the Pope, and since many at the Youth Festival felt and accepted a spiritual calling, he invited them to continue doing so this year as well.
"If any of you, during this pilgrimage of life feels a special call to consecrated life or the priesthood, I urge you not to be afraid to respond. This call, which you feel resonating within you, comes from God, it speaks to our hearts. Listen to it with trust: the word of the Lord, indeed, not only makes us truly free and happy, but also authentically fulfills us as people and as Christians," said the Holy Father, who entrusted the young people to the Blessed Virgin Mary to "encourage and guide them on the path of life, so that they may become heralds of peace and hope," and gave them his apostolic blessing and said that he was accompanying them with his prayers.
At the Holy Mass, Archbishop Chullikattu was concelebrated by the Apostolic Visitor with a special role for the parish of Medjugorje, Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, the Bishop of the Diocese of Alessandria della Paglia in Italy, Guido Gallese, the parish priest of Medjugorje, Fr. Zvonimir Pavičić, and 534 other priests.
After greeting of the parish priest, Fr. Zvonimir, and Archbishop Cavalli, the Nuncio also greeted the young people, whom he called "the face of hope".
"Together we have come to this blessed place, each with our own questions and dreams, our own wounds and desires. We are pilgrims of light, in search of a home that does not disappoint, for a love that does not pass away. Here we are, therefore, gathered around the Lord's table, where heaven touches earth and where the heart finds peace. Let us enter into this mystery in silence and wonder, allowing the Spirit to lead us to the source of true joy: Christ living among us," said the Apostolic Nuncio in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Referring to the motto of this year's Youth Festival, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" (Psalm 122:1), Nuncio Chullikatt spoke to the young people about seeking the house of the Lord and the path towards it, and that Mary was the first home of the Word of God, and that we too, "through baptism, have become living dwelling places of God."
"The heart then becomes a temple, the soul a sanctuary. And then the doors of heaven, the house of the Lord, open. Let us allow the Spirit to transform us into a holy temple, a living and active presence of God among men," said Archbishop Chullikatt, explaining that "only he who becomes the dwelling place of God, like Mary, can truly cross the threshold of his home."
"Dear young people, in the Jubilee Year 2025, proclaimed by the late Pope Francis, we are called to be pilgrims of hope. It is not some vague hope, but one founded on God's faithfulness. And you, the young pilgrims of Medjugorje, are the living face of that hope. You are not here by chance: you were expected. God thought of you, sought you, and called you, as he did in the life of Mary, his perfect disciple," said the Nuncio, and in the end he emphasized to the young people that "the pilgrimage to Medjugorje, the journey towards the house of the Lord, does not end with the return home."
"That is precisely when your mission begins. It begins when the heart says: "Here I am, Lord"; when you no longer walk alone, but with Christ by your side; when in your daily life - at school, at work, in your family, among friends - you decide to follow him and live with him and for him, like Mary," said the Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Francis Assisi Chullikatt, calling on the young people at the end of the Mass not to let the light that the Spirit has lit in their hearts go out.
"Be living stones of the Church, homes of hope in your families, in schools, in your workplaces, among friends and those who await a sign of love. Medjugorje is not just a stopover: it is the beginning of a renewed journey. Go, therefore, as disciples and missionaries, carrying with you the joy of those who have found a home in the heart of God," concluded Archbishop Chullikatt, and the Holy Mass was followed by the Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. (PHOTO)
