Lucia Lobato has just finished her schooling in the Colegio Agustiniano of Madrid, which belongs to the EDUCAR network of the Augustinian Recollects. Like many young people, this summer she undertook the journey to Rome to participate in the Youth Jubilee, an experience of communion, hope and faith that brought together thousands of young people on pilgrimage with the Archbishopric of Madrid.
We found her standing in line to enter the Cathedral of Turin, we identified her by the Augustinian Recollects logo on the T-shirt she proudly wore, Lucia shared the reasons that led her to join this pilgrimage:
“I came here to get a little closer to God and feel more connected, because these last few months I have felt a little more distant.”
His words resonate with the experience of many young people who seek to reconnect with God at key stages of their lives.
The value of community and Augustinian Recollect heritage
Lucía’s testimony shows that the seed planted during her years at the school is still alive.
“I feel that I have grown a lot as a person at this school and I hope that my life will follow the values it has taught me.”
Speaking of her experience at Colegio Agustiniano, she describes it as a family:
“I have felt super close with all the classmates, professors and priests. It has been a big family for me.
This sense of belonging, so characteristic of the Augustinian charism, is now projected beyond the classroom: in life, in faith, in community.
A new stage from the heart
Although she has just graduated, Lucía is experiencing this Jubilee as a new beginning. For her, it is a moment of transition that allows her to look to the future with hope, rooted in what she has received.
“I hope to have a good experience, have a good time and feel closer to God.”
In Rome, together with thousands of young people, and at the side of the Augustinian Recollects, Lucia gives testimony of a restless youth, who seeks, who gets up and returns to the road. A youth that does not want to let go of the faith it has received, but to revive it.
The Youth Jubilee, an opportunity to return to the heart
The story of Lucia Lobato sums up the spirit of the Jubilee for young people: toreturn to the heart, to meet God and to find oneself. The Jubilee is not just an event, it is an impulse. A spark that ignites in the lives of those who live it with truth.
From the Augustinian Recollects and the EDUCAR network, we celebrate that our students and alumni continue to walk with Augustinian values. Like Lucia, many young people discover that the charism continues to be a compass, even when the school is already behind them.