Standing on Tiptoe: A Recap of My Pilgrimage to the Youth Jubilee in Rome
In these recent days, I have been in Rome for Youth Jubilee events as part of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. Since 2019, I have come to Rome on pilgrimage once a year, but this year I was compelled to time my trip for the Youth Jubilee for a special reason: it was precisely in our childhood that our parents’ divorce affected us (ontologically, if not also chronologically). I also thought that it would be fitting that a pilgrimage be made on behalf of our community during this year since we so often speak about the virtue of hope. So, I planned my trip, and we made a call for prayer intentions.
Pilgrims arrive at St. Peter’s Square for the opening Mass.
During the first few days of my trip, I was able to attend a few special events: the opening Mass for the Youth Jubilee (at the end of which Pope Leo made a surprise appearance), a prayer vigil for American pilgrims with Bishop Robert Barron, and a testimonial by my friends Carl and Margaret on the vocation to marriage. Margaret and I had been classmates both at DeSales University for undergrad and at the John Paul II Institute for graduate school, and we had even spent a semester in Rome with our Theology classmates back in 2009. By the way, one of those other classmates was Stephanie Gulya, who has been published on this blog many times! In any case, it was so cool to see an American friend in Rome again after so many years.
Carl and Margaret Vater speak at Santa Maria in Traspontina about their vocation to marriage.
Once the Jubilee was officially underway, I had the privilege of participating in and helping with a few events organized by the Focolare movement. Our group hosted 101 young pilgrims—high school students from Italy, Central America, Japan, and the Middle East—for a few days of guided tours, moments of catechesis, and spontaneous fun! On July 31st, during a brief visit to the Synod of Bishops on Via della Conciliazione for gelato, I met Cardinal Mario Grech, the General Secretary. He was very interested to learn about Life-Giving Wounds, since his work is all about walking together as the People of God, sharing our experiences and helping each other along the way.
An Instagram screenshot of a guided tour and catechesis. Translation: “Keyword for Day 3 is ‘Hope’! A day of walking and openness to the grace of true hope!”
On August 1st, at Santa Maria del Carmine alle Tre Cannelle (near Piazza Venezia), after a keynote speech about forgiveness and reconciliation, I had the honor of sharing with our group my own testimonial: seeking healing after my parents’ divorce, getting involved with Life-Giving Wounds, and forgiving my parents and reconciling with them. Three different LGW alumni, already in Rome with their own groups for the Youth Jubilee, went out of their way to be present with us for this testimonial! It was such a blessed moment. To God be the glory!
Sharing my testimonial with our group of pilgrims.
The Youth Jubilee culminated with a long trek through the heat to Tor Vergata University outside the city limits. Over one million faithful gathered in this field for a vigil on Saturday, August 2nd, an overnight stay, and Holy Mass on Sunday, August 3rd. The vigil was incredible – after music by talented artists such as Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger, Pope Leo arrived by helicopter and led the group in prayer. One of the most remarkable experiences was that, as each song ended, an echo of the final note could be heard for an extra couple of seconds as the sound traveled far beyond the pilgrims to the Prenestini mountains and back. It sounded like all of creation was filled with hope! It reminded me of a passage from St. Paul:
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:22-25)
Again, it was as though all one million of us there were expressing our hope in song and all of creation singing with us—yes, in ‘labor pains,’ but with an anticipated joy. After the vigil ended, the Pope flew back to the Vatican for the night, and the rest of us tried to get a bit of rest.
My friends and I at the vigil at Tor Vergata.
The next morning, Pope Leo flew back to the area and came by our section on his popemobile. After a short ride through the crowd, he celebrated Mass. In case you are not aware, Tor Vergata was the site at which Pope John Paul II celebrated the final Mass of the Youth Jubilee in the Jubilee Year 2000. It was on that occasion that he had made the memorable quote,
“It is Jesus in fact that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle.” [1]
Pope Leo had made reference to this JPII quote during the vigil, and, during his own homily during Mass on Sunday, said the following:
“We are not made for a life where everything is taken for granted and static, but for an existence that is constantly renewed through gift of self in love. This is why we continually aspire to something ‘more’ that no created reality can give us; we feel a deep and burning thirst that no drink in this world can satisfy. Knowing this, let us not deceive our hearts by trying to satisfy them with cheap imitations! Rather, let us listen to them! Let us turn this thirst into a step stool, like children who stand on tiptoe, in order to peer through the window of encounter with God. We will then find ourselves before Him who is waiting for us, knocking gently on the window of our soul.” [2]
This made me think of our experience as children of divorce. We have a burning thirst for something more, and we often fall prey to the false promises of this world. Perhaps we even longed for our parents to love each other once again, or to get married ourselves—to be sure, marriage is not a cheap imitation, but rather an authentic and unique image of God’s love. But, even this created reality would not satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. Instead, we must all, precisely insofar as we are children of God, stand on tiptoe on a step stool to sneak a peek at Love Himself. When it came time to receive the Eucharist, I carried in my heart the 100+ prayer intentions that our community entrusted to me. It was an honor to pray for you all in this special way.
Catching a glimpse of Pope Leo as he drives towards the stage for Mass.
Once Mass ended, the Pope flew away, and my group made the five-hour trek back to our accommodations in the city. After that, I slept for 14 hours.
Endnotes:
Pope John Paul II. (2000, August 19). 15th World Youth Day Address of the Holy Father John Paul II Vigil of Prayer. Vatican. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/2000/jul-sep/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20000819_gmg-veglia.html
Pope Leo XIV. (2025, August 3). Jubilee of Youth Holy Mass Homily of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. Vatican. https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2025/documents/20250803-omelia-giubileo-giovani.html
Song/ Prayer: Jesus Christ, You Are My Life, by Marco Frisina
Jesus Christ, you are my life
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Jesus Christ, you are my life
You are my life, Hallelujah
You are the way, you are truth
Tu sei via, sei verità
You are our life
Tu sei la nostra vita
Walking with you
Camminando insieme a te
We will live in you forever
Vivremo in te per sempre
You welcome us into unity
Ci accogli nell'unità
Gathered in love
Riuniti nell'amore
In joy before you
Nella gioia dinanzi a te
Singing your glory
Cantando la tua gloria
We will walk in joy
Nella gioia camminerem
Bringing your Gospel
Portando il tuo Vangelo
Witnesses of charity
Testimoni di carità
Children of God in the world
Figli di Dio nel mondo
About the author:
Alexander Wolfe grew up in western Pennsylvania and studied Theology at DeSales University (2008-2011). Through the experience of seeing his parents get divorced while he was in college, Alex decided to study at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Washington, D.C. He completed the Master of Theological Studies degree and coursework for the Ph.D. (2012-2017)
From 2018 to 2024, Alex served in the Office of Marriage, Family, and Respect Life at the Diocese of Arlington, where he built up what became the first diocesan Life-Giving Wounds chapter outside D.C./ Maryland. During that time, he also served as the Content and Support Group Advisor for Life-Giving Wounds and as a member of the Life-Giving Wounds traveling team. As a reward for going above the call of duty, Alex received a promotion from Program Specialist to Assistant Director in the Diocese of Arlington, in 2022.
In 2024, Alex joined Life-Giving Wounds full-time as the Assistant Director of Programs and Development. In this role, he provides support for the 30+ Life-Giving Wounds chapters around the country, develops new chapters and programs, assists fundraising efforts, and much more. He continues to be based in Washington, D.C.
Reflection Questions for Small Groups or Individuals
In what ways have you struggled to hope? Has there been a practice, community, or prayer that has helped you “hope against hope”?
Have you felt as though you were robbed of your childhood? Have there been ways in which you have recovered your childhood in some sense?
Do you think about your healing journey as a pilgrimage? Is this an insightful metaphor for you? Why or why not?
Reflect again on the words of Pope Leo and share how it speaks to your heart and mind: “We are not made for a life where everything is taken for granted and static, but for an existence that is constantly renewed through gift of self in love. This is why we continually aspire to something ‘more’ that no created reality can give us; we feel a deep and burning thirst that no drink in this world can satisfy. Knowing this, let us not deceive our hearts by trying to satisfy them with cheap imitations! Rather, let us listen to them! Let us turn this thirst into a step stool, like children who stand on tiptoe, in order to peer through the window of encounter with God. We will then find ourselves before Him who is waiting for us, knocking gently on the window of our soul.”
