July and August, summer months in the northern hemisphere, are traditionally a time of rest and academic pause. But they also represent a privileged opportunity to live experiences that mark the heart. In this year 2025, they will be especially significant for the Augustinian Recollect Youth (Augustinian Recollect Youth), called to travel a path of fraternity, interiority and mission under the sign of hope.
From the national camps to the pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago, through their participation in the Youth Jubilee in Rome, the RAY youth set out on the road in the style of St. Augustine: with their hearts open to God and their feet firm in the Gospel.
Rome 2025: the Jubilee of Youth
Rome 2025: the Jubilee of YouthFrom July 28 to August 3, a group of more than 100 RAY youth from different countries will participate in the Youth Jubilee, convoked by the Holy Father as part of the Jubilee of Hope.
The JAR family will live this week as an intense ecclesial experience, which will include:
- ✅ Community Pilgrimage to the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica (Thursday, July 31)
- ✝️ Inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square (Tuesday, July 29)
- Pilgrimages to Cascia and Assisi (Wednesday 30), emblematic places for Augustinian spirituality
- Penitential Day with the Sacrament of Reconciliation at Circo Massimo (Friday, August 1)
- International JAR meeting in the chapel of St. Ildefonso and St. Thomas of Villanova (Saturday morning, 2nd )
- Vigil with Pope Francis at Tor Vergata (Saturday evening 2)
- ️ Closing Mass of the Jubilee (Sunday, August 3)
A path that is not only traveled on foot, but also in the soul, to receive the gift of the Jubilee indulgence and renew the faith as young disciples.
JAR Camps: school of community life
As is tradition, different provinces of the Order organize JAR summer camps in Spain. Spaces of fraternal coexistence, formation in values and encounter with Christ, where young people participate in:
- Games, dynamics and activities in nature
- Workshops and catechesis with spiritual focus
- Moments of prayer, Eucharist and adoration
- Vocational accompaniment and community life
An atmosphere of joy and simplicity that allows each young person to “return to the heart” and discover the meaning of living in community.
Pilgrimage as a young Church: The Way of St. James
From August 3 to 10, a group of 140 young people from different schools and communities will participate in the pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago, organized by the EDUCAR Network. It will be a week of silence, shared effort, prayer and friendship, where each stage becomes a space for conversion and inner listening.
Youth walking with hope
The JAR family, present in various countries, shows once again that the youth continues to be fertile ground for the Gospel. From the roads of Santiago to the streets of Rome, passing through every camp and community, the Augustinian Recollect youth walk together as a Church that prays, listens, serves and dreams.