Rome (Italy). On 7 and 8 April 2026, approximately 4,000 pre-adolescents from the Diocese of Milan, accompanied by educators, priests, and religious sisters, participated in a post-Easter pilgrimage to Rome, featuring a Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica presided over by the Archbishop of Milan, Msgr. Mario Delpini, and attendance at the General Audience of Pope Leo XIV on 8 April, alongside many faithful who had arrived from all over the world.
For the Dioceses of Milan, the pilgrimage of 14-year-olds in the days following Easter, undertaken to celebrate their Profession of Faith together, has now become a cherished tradition. Having reached the culmination of their journey, these adolescents are called to renew their faith by professing it directly at the Tomb of Peter and by meeting Peter’s successor, the Pope. This pilgrimage features two fixed appointments: on Tuesday, the Ambrosian Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica attended by the Archbishop, followed by the Profession of Faith at the Tomb of Peter; and on Wednesday, the General Audience with the Holy Father.
Many parishes join the pilgrimage every year, thanks in part to the generosity of the accompanying guides: the priests dedicated to Youth Ministry, the many educators, and the Sisters, including numerous Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from the Lombard “Holy Family” Province (ILO) who serve in various oratories throughout the Diocese.
In his homily, Mons. Delpini invited the young boys and girls to live out their faith and to step forward through three words: “Pray; that is, encounter Jesus and accept His invitation to be your friend and your Savior, for you are not a mistake, but are called. Smile, that is, spread joy in your home and everywhere else: your family, your circle of friends, they are not a mistake; they are in need of joy. Help, that is, invest your time, invest your talents, and put to good use your desire for friendship and your capacity to open the door to new encounters. The world is broken, but it awaits those who will set it right.”
At the Wednesday audience, Pope Leo greeted the Ambrosian youth, together with the confirmation candidates from the Diocese of Treviso and the young people from the Diocese of Cremona, inviting them to bear witness to their faith with enthusiasm and generosity, and to follow Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
At the conclusion of the audience, the delegation of the Foundation of Milanese Oratories (FOM), led by its President, Father Giuseppe Como, and its Director, Father Stefano Guidi, returned to the Holy Father the Athletes’ Cross, which had been entrusted to the Ambrosian Diocese on the occasion of the Winter Olympics.
Arianna, a young volunteer, describes the cross’s stay in Milan in this way, “Countless groups and schools passed through the Church of San Babila and saw this cross, which was not easily distinguishable, for its simplicity was so profound that it blended in with the altar. For the children, it was difficult to imagine that the cross was composed of fifteen pieces of wood arriving from all over the world, and that this wood came from trees that had grown in every corner of the globe.”
During this period, the Italian Sports Center (CSI) helped young people visiting the Church of San Babila, as well as other selected venues, to reflect on the importance of respect and friendship in sports, drawing inspiration from the “Letters to Athletes” written by Archbishop Mario Delpini during these years of preparation for the Olympic event. San Babila is a church located in the center of Milan, and it was a hub of activity during the Olympic weeks, hosting Holy Masses in various languages, the evening Rosary, and offering the opportunity to visit the Athletes’ Cross for moments of group or individual prayer. (Tour of Sports Values)
“During these days, we have been guests of this church, just as this Athletes’ Cross was a guest here, too. And before this cross, the athletes of these Olympics also came to pray, wishing to entrust their experience and their competitions to God. And that is truly striking,” concludes Arianna.
