Tuesday 29 July 2025:  Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy has said that young people across Limerick and Ireland have a search for spirituality that give the rest of us hope.

Speaking as a group of young adults from Limerick arrived in Rome this week 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, there to celebrate their faith and meet other pilgrims from across the world.

“Thank God we are seeing a rise in youth communities of faith across Ireland and also in Limerick. I am also happy to see how in Limerick these groups of young Catholics are also beginning to network more.  There’s even an app that tells of youth faith events around the country. That is encouraging,” Bishop Leahy said.

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,” he said.

The Gospel lived together in communities, Bishop Leahy continued, is the answer to what young people are searching for, and they get a taste of that during a large international event like the one we are going to in Rome.

“I would appeal to those young adults who are searching to give faith a go. There are loads of on-line possibilities of exploring the Catholic faith and get to know it personally as an adult. The trouble often is that our religious education finished when people were young and they haven’t grown in their level of knowledge about faith and religion now that they are adults with adult questions.

“The Gospel message and teachings of the Church have so much to offer. It is liberating to get to know Jesus as Person who can journey with you and inspire you in life. And it’s worth remembering, too, that survey after survey tells us that religious attendance and belonging to religious communities is consistently correlated with higher levels of happiness and satisfaction in life.”

Some 500,000 young people from around the world are expected to arrive during the coming week in Rome, with the number swelling to over 1 million for the concluding all-night Vigil on Saturday evening and Sunday morning Mass next weekend with Pope Leo.

Bishop Leahy said that there is a strong tradition in the Diocese of Limerick of recognising the “young church” with nearly 100 young people travelling to the Loudes pilgrimage each year, and well over 100 Transition year students taking part in the Anois programme each January as well as the very successful summer camp that the Diocese has been running for the past 40 years for young adults in Brú Na Gráige house in the heart of the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht. This year some 130 young adults took part at the summer camp.

Many of the Limerick group during this week, along with others, will be staying at the Irish College where Limerick Diocesan priest Fr. Paul Finnerty is rector.  As well as getting to see the historic sites of Rome, visit the four ‘Holy Doors’ of the four Basilicas and take part in various events and talks planned for the week, the Limerick group will be part of a national Irish Pilgrims’ gathering on Thursday, 31 July at the Irish College. They will also be taking part in the ‘Way of the Cross’ on Friday, 1 August, beginning at the Irish College and concluding with international pilgrims at the Basilica of Santa Croce, home to relics of the True Cross.

Among them are Jade McMahon, a teacher from Newcastle West.  “I’m looking forward to Rome from the faith perspective and to meet many young people from all over Ireland and all over the world and hopefully we might get a glimpse of Pope Leo as well,” she said.

Bishop Leahy said that he was particularly happy see such a large cohort from the Limerick Diocese travel out to Rome for the pilgrimage. “The Jubilee of Youth in Rome will offer a wonderful experience of the universality of the Catholic Church. It is so hope-filled to be in the company of young people from all over the world who are, on the one hand, so energetic and cheerful, singing their songs and waving their flags as they walk along but also, on the other hand, so attentive in the moments of prayer and so engaged in moments when faith is being explained and witnessed to,” he added.

Noting how young people have big questions and are seeking answers, Bishop Leahy commented: “The Jubilee of Youth offers them a space to go deeper in getting to know the person of Jesus and understand the relevancy of his message, especially today with all that is going on in the world.

Bishop Leahy said he is 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 will be in Rome, there is another youth event taking place in Limerick itself that had been planned for some years before the announcement of the Jubilee of Youth. The European Redemptorist Youth Congress is coming to Limerick. Hundreds of young adults from across Europe will be here for 5 days of music, workshops, and inspiring talks, hosted by the Redemptorists.

Bishop Leahy said: “I am so sorry to be missing this event because I’ll be in Rome with the Diocesan group, but I want to really wish the Redemptorists well. It’s a great initiative which I congratulate the Redemptorists on. It’s another of the green shoots that I see emerging in Limerick over the past few years in the area of young people and faith”.

 

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