Jubilee of Youth: Young Nigerians in Rome Pray for Missionary Zeal in Troubled Country

Jos, 29 July, 2025 / 10:22 PM

The ongoing Jubilee of Youth in Rome is an opportunity for young participants from Nigeria to deepen their faith and missionary commitment in their native country where attacks, most of them targeting Christians have been a daily occurrence, one of the youth leaders from the West African countries has said.

In an interview with ACI Africa on July 27, during the departure of the Nigerian delegation for the July 27-August 3 event, Fr. Boniface Idoko, National Youth Coordinator at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), described the pilgrimage as “a profound spiritual moment” for the participants and the wider Nigerian Catholic youth community.

“We’re going there to pray with the Holy Father for our country, Nigeria, so that God can restore peace in our land,” Fr. Idoko told ACI Africa.

He added, “The Jubilee celebration holds profound spiritual significance for Nigerian youth, offering an opportunity for spiritual growth, renewal, and connection with fellow Catholics worldwide.”

According to the Nigerian Catholic Priest, the delegation comprising 16 young pilgrims from different Dioceses was carefully chosen through a process that emphasized commitment and service. 

“Any Catholic youth can participate, but the selection is based on active involvement in Church activities and recommendation from Church leaders,” he noted. 

The national youth office, Fr. Idoko said, worked closely with Dioceses to ensure a fair spread and to prioritize young Catholics who are already witnesses in their Parish and community life.

The expectations of the group, he explained, are rooted in prayer, formation, and fraternity.

“Youth attendees came with different prayer intentions, seeking to deepen our faith, engage in spiritual activities, and build connections with fellow Catholics from diverse backgrounds,” Fr. Idoko said. 

He added, “We expect them to return as multipliers — not gatekeepers of privileged experiences, but evangelizers who will light new fires of faith among their peers.”

Several key activities for the youth jubilee have been confirmed for the weeklong Jubilee of Youth in Rome.

Throughout the week, numerous spiritual, artistic, and cultural activities have been lined up in Rome under the title, “Dialogues with the City,” with August 1 as a Penitential Day, to be held in the Circus Maximus.

Pope Leo XIV is expected to preside over the concluding Eucharistic Celebration and bid farewell to the young pilgrims on Sunday, August 3. 

These activities, Fr. Idoko said, will leave a permanent imprint on the pilgrims’ spiritual journey and leadership witness when they return home.

“This Jubilee indeed has provided for them an opportunity to visit the holy land — the Eternal City, Rome — and many holy sites like the Church of the Eucharistic miracle in Lanciano, San Giovanni Rotondo, and the Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi,” he said.

For Fr. Idoko, one of the important aspects of the Jubilee is the visible, living communion of the Church. 

“It’s indeed beautiful to see other Catholic youths from different countries, meaning the faith is shared, believed, and practiced,” he said. 

Such encounters, the Catholic Priest said, will broaden the horizons of Nigerian youth, foster global friendships, and challenge them to live their faith more boldly at home.

Conscious of public concerns that international youth pilgrimages can be abused as migration pathways, the CSN’s Youth Animation Office instituted a robust pastoral and administrative framework to ensure the safety and return of all participants. 

“We are working closely with parents, local Church leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure participants’ safety and return,” Fr. Idoko said, adding that the youths received counseling and orientation before embarking on the journey. 

This, he emphasized, underscores the Church’s commitment to both pastoral care and civic responsibility.

The member of the Clergy of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Otukpo emphasized that the Jubilee is not an isolated, one-off mountaintop experience. 

Upon their return, the pilgrims will be expected to share their insights and witness with their peers nationwide.

 “The Youth Animation Office will organize workshops, seminars, and other events to help those participating to share their experiences and insights with their fellow youths in Nigeria,” he said.

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He said the dissemination will cut across all established youth apostolates, including the Young Catholic Students (YCS), Nigerian Federation of Catholic Students (NFCS), National Association of Catholic Corps Members (NACC), and the Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria (CYON).

“May this Jubilee be a transformative experience, deepening their faith and inspiring them to become better Christians and leaders in their communities,” he said.

For those who could not make the journey, Fr. Idoko said, “I pray that the spirit of the Jubilee touches their hearts as well, as we pray for them.”

The Nigerian delegation has joined thousands of young Catholics from across the globe in the Youth Jubilee that is part of the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year.