For us, the participants, the International Youth Forum was more than just a meeting of hundreds of people around the world, gathered to share their impression and their experience with Christus Vivit. What we have lived in Rome was indeed an experience of brotherhood, of Universal Church, of family.

I have been waiting for this to happen since the beginning of the year. It has been a few years now since I work in Youth Ministry in my country, but almost never was I given the chance to share and even to enrich my experience. This forum came like a birthday cake. There were so many things that were shared and that have been building my confidence and my enthusiasm since!

Being an active part of the Forum not only made me raise my voice, but also learn how to better listen and work together with people that have different backgrounds than I do, and still chase the same prize: Heaven. My biggest surprise, however, was that I’ve been able to discover that many parts of ChV reflect principles and even habits of the Catholic Action. Reading and reflecting on the exhortation, discovering that the Catholic Action members around the world are already working to create a better Church with and for the young people, that was something I felt really proud of.

Pope Francis cares endlessly for us and I can see that he is doing all for us to find a Church that we feel the need to love, to cherish and to share. Our mission, as young people, is to constantly build new ways of evangelization and to live the Good News as Christ did: with hearts full of love and trust in our hands. Being part of an organization as the Catholic Action not only gives me the best environment to do it, but also enriches me with so many people willing to join my adventure and make it a lifetime journey!

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