More than 600 young Irish adults will travel to Rome from 28 July 2025 to take part in the Jubilee of Youth. They will be led by mgr. Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross, and Chair of the Council for Evangelisation, Catechetics and Pastoral Renewal of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. “This Jubilee is a powerful reminder that young people are not just the future of the Church – they are its present”, the bishop stated a few days before departure. “To walk together as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ in the heart of Rome, alongside young Catholics from every continent, is a deeply spiritual and life-affirming experience”. For English-speaking pilgrims, the catechetic programme will include contributions from internationally renowned speakers, including Jesuit Bishop Alan McGuckian of Down and Connor, Sister Mary Grace from Australia, and US bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire. On Thursday, 31 July, all Irish pilgrims will gather at the historic Pontifical Irish College for a national celebration.