Posted on 08/19/2025 16:35 PM (CNA Daily News)
A federal district court in California ordered the Oakland Unified School district to grant equal access of school facilities to a Christian club. / Credit: zimmytws/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).
A federal district court has ordered that a California school district must grant a Christian children’s club equal access to school facilities, arguing that the denial of that access violates the club’s free speech rights.
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) will be required to provide “equal access to available spaces and benefits” to the group Child Evangelism Fellowship of NorCal, District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. said in an Aug. 15 ruling.
The court order found that the school district apparently engaged in “viewpoint discrimination” in violation of the U.S. Constitution when it barred the group from after-school use of campus facilities.
The district had argued that the Christian group did not meet the administrative requirements to be allowed access to school space and that allowing the group on campus could constitute a violation of the Constitution’s establishment clause, which forbids government favoring of religion.
The school district’s arguments were “remarkably short on caselaw,” Gilliam noted, while court precedent “clearly favor[s]” the Christian group’s position.
The court order said the district was forbidden from enforcing rules “in any manner that denies [the Christian group] access to OUSD facilities on an equal basis to the access provided to similarly situated nonprofit organizations.”
The evangelical organization was represented in its bid by the legal group Liberty Counsel. Group founder Mat Staver described the decision as a “great victory.”
“Child Evangelism Fellowship gives children a biblically-based education that includes moral and character development,” he said. “Good News Clubs should be in every public elementary school.”
Gilliam in his order directed the school district and the Christian group to present a jointly-agreed-upon plan to implement the ruling by Sept. 16.
The judge said the court would determine “what if any additional language is needed” to ensure the ruling is carried out.
Posted on 08/19/2025 16:35 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
A federal district court in California ordered the Oakland Unified School district to grant equal access of school facilities to a Christian club. / Credit: zimmytws/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).
A federal district court has ordered that a California school district must grant a Christian children’s club equal access to school facilities, arguing that the denial of that access violates the club’s free speech rights.
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) will be required to provide “equal access to available spaces and benefits” to the group Child Evangelism Fellowship of NorCal, District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. said in an Aug. 15 ruling.
The court order found that the school district apparently engaged in “viewpoint discrimination” in violation of the U.S. Constitution when it barred the group from after-school use of campus facilities.
The district had argued that the Christian group did not meet the administrative requirements to be allowed access to school space and that allowing the group on campus could constitute a violation of the Constitution’s establishment clause, which forbids government favoring of religion.
The school district’s arguments were “remarkably short on caselaw,” Gilliam noted, while court precedent “clearly favor[s]” the Christian group’s position.
The court order said the district was forbidden from enforcing rules “in any manner that denies [the Christian group] access to OUSD facilities on an equal basis to the access provided to similarly situated nonprofit organizations.”
The evangelical organization was represented in its bid by the legal group Liberty Counsel. Group founder Mat Staver described the decision as a “great victory.”
“Child Evangelism Fellowship gives children a biblically-based education that includes moral and character development,” he said. “Good News Clubs should be in every public elementary school.”
Gilliam in his order directed the school district and the Christian group to present a jointly-agreed-upon plan to implement the ruling by Sept. 16.
The judge said the court would determine “what if any additional language is needed” to ensure the ruling is carried out.
Posted on 08/19/2025 15:51 PM (CNA Daily News)
Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the popemobile during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
National Catholic Register, Aug 19, 2025 / 11:51 am (CNA).
Ever since his brother was named pope, John Prevost hasn’t been shy about talking to the press. Pope Leo XIV’s first phone call with his brother went viral after a reporter captured it on video (“Why don’t you answer the phone,” the newly elected pontiff had snapped at his brother in a highly relatable sibling interaction captured for posterity).
Now, in a wide-ranging, half-hour interview with NBC’s Chicago affiliate that aired over the weekend, the 70-year-old retired high school principal opened up again.
Here are some highlights from their talk:
Yes, they still talk on the phone each day, and they still play “Wordle” and “Words With Friends” together, Prevost told NBC’s Mary Ann Ahern.
“I usually now ask him, ‘Who did you meet famous?’ to see who came to see him because he’s always with audiences,” Prevost said.
The two haven’t lost their taste for gentle sibling ribbing.
When asked if he says, “Hey, Bob” or “Hi, Pope,” when they get on the phone, Prevost said they often joke about that.
Sometimes, Prevost said, he will ask: “Is this [His] Holiness?” to which the pope responds: “Yes, my child, how may I help you.”
The Holy Father resumed the tradition of going to Castel Gandolfo, which had been on pause during Francis’ papacy.
“He’s going to make it a permanent thing. He’s spent two weeks there and now he has been back already one more time and they’re going to try to do it more often because it just is relaxing and away from the crowd — away from the grind, so to speak,” Prevost said.
“There really is an opportunity to relax, and he doesn’t have to be dressed in his papal outfit all the time.”
Prevost didn’t explicitly say his brother is working on his backhand and swimming laps, but he did say that he is “making use” of the facilities there.
The pope, he said, is not particular about where he likes to go on vacation if he can get behind the wheel.
“I think he likes anything. I think he likes the mountains. I think he likes the shore, so long as he has an opportunity to drive. Driving to him is totally relaxing,” Prevost said.
In the past, when they would get together, Prevost always let his younger brother drive.
“Otherwise, then he would criticize my driving,” he said.
Not being able to drive anymore “bothers him,” his brother said.
When the pope stepped off his popemobile to receive a gift of a pizza from Aurelio’s, one of his favorite Chicago pizzerias, he ate the whole thing. And it was sausage.
“He did take it. His bodyguards took it from him to make sure it was safe. He did reheat it. He did eat every bit of it,” his brother told NBC.
His favorite kind of pizza? Pepperoni.
“It was in the days when you just went out and played,” he said. “Everyone met on the street. Do whatever you’re going to do. Go ride your bikes, go play baseball, four-square. We just did that with all the neighborhood kids.”
The boys, however, were not allowed to go out trick-or-treating on Halloween as children.
“My mom thought it was begging,” Prevost said.
“He was close with Francis. Very close. They were very good friends,” he said.
When asked whether the pope was planning to return to his hometown, Prevost said “anything’s likely” since he is, of course, the pope.
“The only thing we know for sure is he’s going to be here for my funeral,” he said.
Prevost said he asked his younger brother if he would return under those circumstances, and he reportedly responded: “They may have to keep the body on ice for a while, but I’ll get there.”
When asked what he plans to bring his brother when he travels to Rome in October (along with several members of his extended family), Prevost said: “Peeps.”
“That’s his favorite candy on Earth.”
His brother told NBC that the family would save certain household chores for their younger brother.
“I used to have to say, ‘Well, I’ll save this for when Rob’s here because he’ll take care of it.’
“Anything on a ladder, I don’t do, but he will,” he said.
When asked which kind of movies his brother likes, Prevost said: “I think things that are generally entertaining that have a positive outcome.”
“He liked legal thrillers,” his brother said.
Prevost was accompanied by Augustinian Father Ray Flores during his interview with the NBC station.
When asked if his brother, the pope, asks him to “be careful,” Prevost said that he does.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said. “That’s why this gentleman is here.”
Prevost said: “I think what people don’t know is he’s taking this very seriously. It may not look that way when you see him enjoying himself, but this is quite a burden on his shoulders and he’s praying for the world.”
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.
Posted on 08/19/2025 15:51 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the popemobile during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
National Catholic Register, Aug 19, 2025 / 11:51 am (CNA).
Ever since his brother was named pope, John Prevost hasn’t been shy about talking to the press. Pope Leo XIV’s first phone call with his brother went viral after a reporter captured it on video (“Why don’t you answer the phone,” the newly elected pontiff had snapped at his brother in a highly relatable sibling interaction captured for posterity).
Now, in a wide-ranging, half-hour interview with NBC’s Chicago affiliate that aired over the weekend, the 70-year-old retired high school principal opened up again.
Here are some highlights from their talk:
Yes, they still talk on the phone each day, and they still play “Wordle” and “Words With Friends” together, Prevost told NBC’s Mary Ann Ahern.
“I usually now ask him, ‘Who did you meet famous?’ to see who came to see him because he’s always with audiences,” Prevost said.
The two haven’t lost their taste for gentle sibling ribbing.
When asked if he says, “Hey, Bob” or “Hi, Pope,” when they get on the phone, Prevost said they often joke about that.
Sometimes, Prevost said, he will ask: “Is this [His] Holiness?” to which the pope responds: “Yes, my child, how may I help you.”
The Holy Father resumed the tradition of going to Castel Gandolfo, which had been on pause during Francis’ papacy.
“He’s going to make it a permanent thing. He’s spent two weeks there and now he has been back already one more time and they’re going to try to do it more often because it just is relaxing and away from the crowd — away from the grind, so to speak,” Prevost said.
“There really is an opportunity to relax, and he doesn’t have to be dressed in his papal outfit all the time.”
Prevost didn’t explicitly say his brother is working on his backhand and swimming laps, but he did say that he is “making use” of the facilities there.
The pope, he said, is not particular about where he likes to go on vacation if he can get behind the wheel.
“I think he likes anything. I think he likes the mountains. I think he likes the shore, so long as he has an opportunity to drive. Driving to him is totally relaxing,” Prevost said.
In the past, when they would get together, Prevost always let his younger brother drive.
“Otherwise, then he would criticize my driving,” he said.
Not being able to drive anymore “bothers him,” his brother said.
When the pope stepped off his popemobile to receive a gift of a pizza from Aurelio’s, one of his favorite Chicago pizzerias, he ate the whole thing. And it was sausage.
“He did take it. His bodyguards took it from him to make sure it was safe. He did reheat it. He did eat every bit of it,” his brother told NBC.
His favorite kind of pizza? Pepperoni.
“It was in the days when you just went out and played,” he said. “Everyone met on the street. Do whatever you’re going to do. Go ride your bikes, go play baseball, four-square. We just did that with all the neighborhood kids.”
The boys, however, were not allowed to go out trick-or-treating on Halloween as children.
“My mom thought it was begging,” Prevost said.
“He was close with Francis. Very close. They were very good friends,” he said.
When asked whether the pope was planning to return to his hometown, Prevost said “anything’s likely” since he is, of course, the pope.
“The only thing we know for sure is he’s going to be here for my funeral,” he said.
Prevost said he asked his younger brother if he would return under those circumstances, and he reportedly responded: “They may have to keep the body on ice for a while, but I’ll get there.”
When asked what he plans to bring his brother when he travels to Rome in October (along with several members of his extended family), Prevost said: “Peeps.”
“That’s his favorite candy on Earth.”
His brother told NBC that the family would save certain household chores for their younger brother.
“I used to have to say, ‘Well, I’ll save this for when Rob’s here because he’ll take care of it.’
“Anything on a ladder, I don’t do, but he will,” he said.
When asked which kind of movies his brother likes, Prevost said: “I think things that are generally entertaining that have a positive outcome.”
“He liked legal thrillers,” his brother said.
Prevost was accompanied by Augustinian Father Ray Flores during his interview with the NBC station.
When asked if his brother, the pope, asks him to “be careful,” Prevost said that he does.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said. “That’s why this gentleman is here.”
Prevost said: “I think what people don’t know is he’s taking this very seriously. It may not look that way when you see him enjoying himself, but this is quite a burden on his shoulders and he’s praying for the world.”
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.
Posted on 08/19/2025 15:04 PM (CNA Daily News)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged a mother to rely on the Virgin Mary as she raises her daughters in the faith. / Credit: Kara Gebhardt/Shutterstock
Vatican City, Aug 19, 2025 / 11:04 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV shared advice with a devout wife and mother in a letter published in the Italian monthly magazine Piazza San Pietro, saying Mary is a guide for all families in times of doubt and uncertainty.
The Italian magazine — an editorial project initiated by Pope Francis — features a column of letters exchanged between Catholic faithful and the Holy Father. Pope Leo’s letter and a letter from a woman named Laura were published in the magazine’s August edition.
In her letter, Laura shared with the Holy Father that she is blessed with a loving husband but, at times, faces difficulties as a Catholic mother trying to raise children in the faith.
“I am the mother of three wonderful daughters whom I try to nourish with prayer and the word of the Gospel every day, words that, at times, I fail to translate into action,” she wrote in her letter to the pope.
“The chaotic life and the hectic pace don’t help me appreciate the grace I have around me,” she continued. “I pray every day that the Lord will enlighten me so that I may be a guide for my daughters, and I wonder how the Virgin Mary raised the Lord.”
Describing her faith as “stronger than ever,” Laura said she feared “temptations are taking control” and shared doubts her faith is solid enough to overcome problems affecting her family.
In response, Pope Leo praised the Italian mother’s “enthusiasm for the faith” and “sincerity of heart,” saying that they are a blessing for her and her family.
“Take care of this spiritual treasure, which will always be guarded by the love of God,” he wrote in his letter. “If your point of reference, dear Laura, is Mary, you will be able to face any uncertainty.”
“When you turn to her, the Virgin leads you to Christ,” he continued. “Mary’s strength is always new and surprising, because she entrusts herself completely to the Son, the Word incarnate through love.”
“And in him, with Mary, we are all one,” he said.
Emphasizing that she is not alone in her struggles to raise a Catholic family, the Holy Father encouraged Laura to share her experiences with others in the Church.
“It can be very important for your journey to share your family’s faith and mission with other families, especially in the parish community, in diocesan settings, with movements or associations,” he said.
“Sharing projects of Christian love,” he continued, “is fundamental to spiritual progress and collaborating with God’s grace and will.
“I bless you and your family; thank you for your kind words,” he wrote at the end of his letter.
Posted on 08/19/2025 15:04 PM (CNA Daily News - Vatican)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged a mother to rely on the Virgin Mary as she raises her daughters in the faith. / Credit: Kara Gebhardt/Shutterstock
Vatican City, Aug 19, 2025 / 11:04 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV shared advice with a devout wife and mother in a letter published in the Italian monthly magazine Piazza San Pietro, saying Mary is a guide for all families in times of doubt and uncertainty.
The Italian magazine — an editorial project initiated by Pope Francis — features a column of letters exchanged between Catholic faithful and the Holy Father. Pope Leo’s letter and a letter from a woman named Laura were published in the magazine’s August edition.
In her letter, Laura shared with the Holy Father that she is blessed with a loving husband but, at times, faces difficulties as a Catholic mother trying to raise children in the faith.
“I am the mother of three wonderful daughters whom I try to nourish with prayer and the word of the Gospel every day, words that, at times, I fail to translate into action,” she wrote in her letter to the pope.
“The chaotic life and the hectic pace don’t help me appreciate the grace I have around me,” she continued. “I pray every day that the Lord will enlighten me so that I may be a guide for my daughters, and I wonder how the Virgin Mary raised the Lord.”
Describing her faith as “stronger than ever,” Laura said she feared “temptations are taking control” and shared doubts her faith is solid enough to overcome problems affecting her family.
In response, Pope Leo praised the Italian mother’s “enthusiasm for the faith” and “sincerity of heart,” saying that they are a blessing for her and her family.
“Take care of this spiritual treasure, which will always be guarded by the love of God,” he wrote in his letter. “If your point of reference, dear Laura, is Mary, you will be able to face any uncertainty.”
“When you turn to her, the Virgin leads you to Christ,” he continued. “Mary’s strength is always new and surprising, because she entrusts herself completely to the Son, the Word incarnate through love.”
“And in him, with Mary, we are all one,” he said.
Emphasizing that she is not alone in her struggles to raise a Catholic family, the Holy Father encouraged Laura to share her experiences with others in the Church.
“It can be very important for your journey to share your family’s faith and mission with other families, especially in the parish community, in diocesan settings, with movements or associations,” he said.
“Sharing projects of Christian love,” he continued, “is fundamental to spiritual progress and collaborating with God’s grace and will.
“I bless you and your family; thank you for your kind words,” he wrote at the end of his letter.
Posted on 08/19/2025 14:58 PM (U.S. Catholic)
Arriving to the United States as a teenage undocumented migrant—a refugee from his native El Salvador—Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala of Washington, D.C. proceeded along the path taken by most immigrants: night school to learn English, hard work in multiple jobs, paying taxes, and eventually seeking and earning U.S. citizenship. Menjivar-Ayala says he felt a calling […]
The post An immigrant bishop calls the church to reclaim its prophetic mission appeared first on U.S. Catholic.
Posted on 08/19/2025 14:34 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
The Catholic bishops are backing a suit by a coalition of Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and their supporters, in their lawsuit against the federal government. The lawsuit argues that their freedom of religion was violated when the federal government announced its intention to sell formerly protected land in Arizona to a mining company. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Becket
CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 10:34 am (CNA).
A federally protected Arizona site that has been the location of Native American religious rituals for centuries is temporarily blocked from sale to a copper mining company as legal disputes over the transfer continue to play out in federal court.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said in a brief ruling on Aug. 18 that the Oak Flat site in Pinal County would not be transferred to Resolution Copper, a British-Australian multinational company, while emergency petitions against the sale are considered by federal judges. The transfer was set to take place Tuesday.
The three-judge panel said it took “no position on the merits of the motions” to halt the sale but that it was expediting the court schedule of the appeals. Briefs in the case will be due starting Sept. 8, the ruling said.
The 11th-hour block comes as what could be the last reprieve for a coalition of Native Americans and other advocates who have worked to halt the Oak Flat site’s transfer to the multinational mining company.
The nearly 7-square-mile Oak Flat parcel in the Tonto National Forest has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals.
The yearslong effort to stop the sale, led by the coalition group Apache Stronghold, has received backing from a broad swath of religious liberty advocates, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Knights of Columbus, who have argued that federal religious freedom law prohibits the sale of the site to the mining company.
For decades the federal government protected it from development, but the Obama administration in 2014 began the process of transferring the land to Resolution Copper, whose mining activities will largely obliterate the site.
In May of this year the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Apache Stronghold regarding the transfer. Justice Neil Gorsuch at the time argued that the high court “should at least have troubled itself to hear [the] case” before “allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site.”
Maria Dadgar, the executive director of the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, told the Arizona Republic after the Aug. 18 ruling that Native American groups “have been on these lands now called Arizona since time immemorial.”
“We are hopeful with the news from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and welcome the opportunity to make our case for the continued protection of Oak Flat,” she said.
Apache Stronghold founder Wendsler Nosie said in a statement to CNA on Tuesday that the group was “deeply grateful” for the appeals court’s block.
“This decision is a vital step in protecting our spiritual lifeblood and religious traditions from destruction,” he said. “While the fight is far from over, this ruling gives us hope and time to continue our battle in the courts and to persuade the Trump administration to protect Oak Flat as a sacred place for future generations.”
Posted on 08/19/2025 14:34 PM (CNA Daily News)
The Catholic bishops are backing a suit by a coalition of Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and their supporters, in their lawsuit against the federal government. The lawsuit argues that their freedom of religion was violated when the federal government announced its intention to sell formerly protected land in Arizona to a mining company. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Becket
CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 10:34 am (CNA).
A federally protected Arizona site that has been the location of Native American religious rituals for centuries is temporarily blocked from sale to a copper mining company as legal disputes over the transfer continue to play out in federal court.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said in a brief ruling on Aug. 18 that the Oak Flat site in Pinal County would not be transferred to Resolution Copper, a British-Australian multinational company, while emergency petitions against the sale are considered by federal judges. The transfer was set to take place Tuesday.
The three-judge panel said it took “no position on the merits of the motions” to halt the sale but that it was expediting the court schedule of the appeals. Briefs in the case will be due starting Sept. 8, the ruling said.
The 11th-hour block comes as what could be the last reprieve for a coalition of Native Americans and other advocates who have worked to halt the Oak Flat site’s transfer to the multinational mining company.
The nearly 7-square-mile Oak Flat parcel in the Tonto National Forest has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals.
The yearslong effort to stop the sale, led by the coalition group Apache Stronghold, has received backing from a broad swath of religious liberty advocates, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Knights of Columbus, who have argued that federal religious freedom law prohibits the sale of the site to the mining company.
For decades the federal government protected it from development, but the Obama administration in 2014 began the process of transferring the land to Resolution Copper, whose mining activities will largely obliterate the site.
In May of this year the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Apache Stronghold regarding the transfer. Justice Neil Gorsuch at the time argued that the high court “should at least have troubled itself to hear [the] case” before “allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site.”
Maria Dadgar, the executive director of the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, told the Arizona Republic after the Aug. 18 ruling that Native American groups “have been on these lands now called Arizona since time immemorial.”
“We are hopeful with the news from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and welcome the opportunity to make our case for the continued protection of Oak Flat,” she said.
Apache Stronghold founder Wendsler Nosie said in a statement to CNA on Tuesday that the group was “deeply grateful” for the appeals court’s block.
“This decision is a vital step in protecting our spiritual lifeblood and religious traditions from destruction,” he said. “While the fight is far from over, this ruling gives us hope and time to continue our battle in the courts and to persuade the Trump administration to protect Oak Flat as a sacred place for future generations.”
Posted on 08/19/2025 11:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Young people on the esplanade of Tor Vergata during the vigil with Pope Leo XIV. / Credit: Courtesy of Claudia Arrieta
ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Two weeks ago, 1 million young people returned to their countries after participating in the Jubilee of Youth, an experience that undoubtedly left a profound mark on their lives of faith. Now, beyond what they experienced in Rome, they have a mission: to take that message and testimony home.
In the days leading up to the long-awaited event, Pope Leo XIV exhorted a group of young Peruvian pilgrims to “keep everything you live in these days in your heart, but not to conserve it only for yourselves. This is very important: Let what you will experience here be not only for yourselves. We must learn how to share.”
Marta Zambrano, a 25-year-old Spaniard who participated as a volunteer in the jubilee, reflected on this calling. Speaking to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, she noted that those of us “who have been fortunate enough to experience the jubilee have a very important mission.”
The young woman from Cádiz is clear about that mission: “To be witnesses of the faith and pass on the teachings of everything we have learned from the testimonies, catechesis, homilies of the Holy Father... even from our own experience or encounter with Jesus Christ.”
For the young Spaniard, the best way to share everything she experienced is “by setting an example with our attitude and reflecting the love that Jesus Christ poured out on us.”
In particular, she emphasized the need for others “to see in us that joy and that we know we are loved by Christ, which makes us different from the rest of the people in this world” that tries to pull people in the wrong direction.
Zambrano said she hopes that by exuding that light and joy, the people around her can say: “I want that in my life too.”
She explained that people will thus be able to “bring the world closer to the path of truth and life, of fulfillment and true happiness and peace of heart, which is Jesus Christ.”
Claudia Arrieta, 29, from Madrid, said the best way to bear witness is by example: “changing our way of thinking, speaking, interacting, working, and relating to others in our daily lives. That those around us see a change in us, that they ask themselves why we have this way of being with others.”
“The best way to tell the world about what we experienced in Rome this summer is for each of the pilgrims who attended the gathering with the pope to return to our lives with a clearer and more hopeful outlook,” she added.
She also told ACI Prensa her hope that the words Pope Leo XIV addressed to young people inviting them to seek holiness would be “a message that comes directly from God for mankind.”
“The pope,” the young Spaniard added, “is an instrument that God uses to tell us all to be holy in our relationships.”
She said one of the gifts given in the pilgrim's “kit” was a rosary and that “since I returned, I see people with the jubilee rosary on the street, in a restaurant, at the supermarket, at Mass,” she said.
María Fernanda de Luna Martínez, a 34-year-old Mexican, traveled to Rome with 48 young people from different parts of her country. For her, sharing what she experienced in Rome “is a very great responsibility and duty.”
De Luna, who works in the social communications department of the Salesians in Mexico, said she believes an experience like this generates “many emotions and feelings that take time to settle in.”
When young people return home, she noted, they sometimes “arrive all revved up and eager to take on the world.” She therefore advised “discernment, prayer, accompaniment, and community” so that they don’t quickly forget what they’ve experienced and avoid becoming discouraged.
In this context, she specified that it’s important to ask three questions: “What moved me during the jubilee? What impacted me the most? What does God want from me with this?”
The answers, she said, “can shed light on where to begin,” and it should begin at home, with friends and the community. “Let our commitment be to bring someone else to an upcoming event, like World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027, so that that person may also bear witness that the Church is alive and that there are indeed young people in it, in love with Jesus.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.