“I prefer the weariness of one who is on a journey to the apathy of one who remains still and has no desire to move forward!” (…) “The solution to weariness, paradoxically, is not to stop and rest. It is rather to get going and become pilgrims of hope. This is my exhortation: walk in hope! Hope overcomes all weariness, every crisis and all anxiety, giving us a strong motivation to move forward, because this hope is a gift we receive from God himself. He fills all our time with meaning, enlightens us on the way, shows us the direction and the goal of our life.”
These are some of Pope Francis’ last words during the last World Youth Day, words that still echo in the hearts of the Schoenstatt Youth and that, in this 2025, begin to challenge us deeply.
Representatives from each country will meet in Rome
We are celebrating a new Jubilee of the Church. We want to gather as Schoenstatt Youth, through some representatives responding to the desire that emerged at the Pentecost Congress in 2022. We want to see each other again, meet again… rediscover that our youth groups are not identical “subsidiaries”, but Living Shrines, each one with its own originality, but with the awareness that we burn with the same fire.
As part of the Jubilee in Rome, on July 30th and 31st, representatives of the Schoenstatt Girls’ and Boys’ Youth from all over the world will meet at the Belmonte Shrine.
Why are we meeting?
We want to recognize God’s footprints in the lives of our youth, discern his call in the challenges we face and respond based on our Charism as instruments of Mary in our society.
These will be days in which, listening to the voices of the soul, our being and the times we live in, we want to discover the uniqueness of every young person and that which unites us, that which makes us one single heart.
We will work on issues that challenge young people today: their bond with Jesus, their way of living love, the challenge of living the Covenant of Love in leadership and in service to others.
United under the slogan “Voices of Hope”
Young people are that voice, that voice full of joy, full of spirit, full of hope. And that is the voice that we want to be heard louder and louder as a result of our meeting. Each country will be able to send representatives, who must bring not only their own desires, but also the dreams of the young people they represent.
Through our logo, we wanted to express a large part of the identity of our Youth.
We are that Fire, which seeks to spread throughout the world. A world that we can see symbolized at the bottom of the logo. The colors are bright, as our youth always seeks to be. The Unity Cross inspires us, reminding us that through Mary we are led to Jesus and the exchange of gifts between men and women, which we are called to discover and bear witness to…
Schoenstatt Family, we are counting on you
Young people and advisors from different countries are part of the organizing team for this Congress. We are at the service of the mission that was entrusted to us.
The organizing committee is composed of:
Youth
- Benjamín María Biagosch – Boy’s Youth Argentina
- Ana Maria Wahl Gonzalez- Girls’ Youth of Chile
- Maria Leonor Gavilanes Sanchez – Girls’ Youth of Ecuador
- Matías Sebastián Estigarribia Lima- Boy’s Youth Paraguay
Advisors
- Ana Christina Melquiades – Ladies of Schoenstatt – Advisor for the Girl’s Youth in Brazil
- Father Pablo Gerardo Perez – Schoenstatt Fathers – Schoenstatt National Director in Italy
- Sr. M. Jimena Persia – Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary – National Advisor of the Girl’s Youth in Paraguay
We are already counting on the prayers and contributions to the Capital of Grace of the entire Schoenstatt Family so that each of the young participants in this Congress arrives with a heart prepared and willing to discover, once again, the God of Life who fills our lives with meaning and hope.
And, to our Schoenstatt Youth, stay in touch because there will be news coming very soon.
Matias Estigarribia – Boys’ Youth Paraguay
Member of the organizing team for the International Schoenstatt Youth Congress-Rome 2025
Translation: Maribel Acaron
