The entire Salesian complex – which includes the basilica built by Don Bosco, the new Don Bosco House Museum, the youth centre, social services for the needy, migrants and refugees, and the Salesian Central Office – is bustling each day with hundreds and hundreds of young people.

The first arrivals began at the end of last week, even before the official start of the Jubilee. Even after the closing on Sunday, August 3, additional groups are expected to extend their pilgrimage with extra stops. In total, around 12,000 young pilgrims will have been welcomed, averaging more than 1,000 each day.

Young people – mostly from Europe, including many Italians, but also from all over the world – are finding at the Sacro Cuore courtyard a safe, comfortable space to rest, eat, access essential services, and recharge in between the many events on their packed schedules.

But there’s much more than just rest: their visit to Sacro Cuore is also an opportunity to:

– visit the church and museum to learn more about Don Bosco, his story, pedagogy, and spirituality;
– join in group catechesis and reflections;
– and relax with music, dance, and songs led by volunteers and members of the Salesian Youth Movement.

Daily Encounters and Shared Stories

During the Jubilee, the Sacro Cuore hospitality team organized daily events for mutual exchange, celebration, and testimonies between the regular youth centre participants and the visiting pilgrims.

One example was on Wednesday, July 30: after an opening moment of music and dancing to break the ice, and a welcome speech from the Rector, Fr. Francesco Marcoccio, several youngsters took the stage to share how Salesian spirituality is lived out through service to the vulnerable.

Testimony of Delia: Faith Reignited Through Service

The first to speak was Delia, a Filipino woman who has lived in Rome for 40 years. After losing her faith through life’s hardships, she found it again during a pilgrimage to Assisi and through the sense of fraternity in the Filipino community that gathers at Sacro Cuore. This led her quickly to volunteer work:
"I joined the ‘Bank of Talents,’ a parish group that serves the homeless. Preparing sandwiches and meeting our friends became a joy. The most beautiful thing is talking to them, listening to their stories, giving them our time. I see joy in their eyes because they feel loved. Many thank us because we give them hope for change. Every Friday they wait for us—we know their names, and real friendships have formed," she shared emotionally.

Other volunteers and youth spoke about the Italian School for migrants – a project that also helps with countless other services, including paperwork and human assistance – and the psychological support centre, a valuable space for those struggling with everyday life or deeper personal issues. Here, volunteer psychologists from the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) offer both practical help and long-term therapy.

Davide’s Journey: From Streets to Dignity

Among the most impactful moments was the testimony of Davide, one of the individuals who benefited from Salesian outreach at Sacro Cuore:
"After a life filled with mistakes, I came to Rome feeling lost, even abandoned by God. I was alone, sleeping on the streets, but I longed for a different life. Then I met these young people who brought me food every Friday, who listened to me, who helped me open up and understood me. Thanks to the journey they helped me start, almost two years later, I’ve rediscovered my dignity."

Davide’s story was met with a long round of applause, clearly touching the hearts of many of the young pilgrims—an unforgettable moment of their Jubilee journey.

• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
•  

Tweet