BISHOP of Limerick Brendan Leahy said that young people across Limerick have been on a search for spirituality that should give the rest of us hope.
Speaking as a group of young adults from Limerick arrived in Rome for the International Jubilee of Youth – a highpoint of the Catholic Church’s Year of Hope celebrations under the banner of ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ – Bishop Leahy said he was hugely encouraged to see the rise in faith amongst the youth.
Bishop Leahy also urged those who are searching for something deeper to “give faith a go”.
In all, some 70 young Limerick adults were in Rome for the special event as part of the 600 plus Irish delegation, all there to celebrate their faith and meet other pilgrims from across the world.
With regard to those with a yearning for something to anchor them in their lives, Bishop Leahy said: “We hear a lot today about anxiety levels increasing in young people. We hear about the loneliness of young people despite being so connected through social media. We hear about their fears for the future of our world and our planet. Too often they are sold counterfeits of truth.”
Some 500,000 young people from around the world were expected to arrive for the celebration in Rome, with the number swelling to over 1 million for the concluding all-night Vigil with Pope Leo.
Bishop Leahy said he was looking forward to concelebrating Mass with Pope Leo on what will be his first large youth gathering.
At the same time as the Limerick Diocesan group were in Rome, there was another youth event taking place in Limerick that had been planned for some years before the announcement of the Jubilee of Youth.
The European Redemptorist Youth Congress took place in Limerick across the bank holiday weekend, attracting hundreds of young adults from across Europe for a week of music, workshops, and inspiring talks, hosted by the Redemptorists.
