Thousands of Catholic youth from around the globe are journeying to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth, taking place July 28–August 3, 2025. The Eternal City will be alive with prayer, music, testimonies, and Eucharistic adoration — but most notably, young pilgrims will have the rare opportunity to venerate the relics of two future saints: Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, who will be canonized together by Pope Leo XIV this September.
Relics of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis
The incorrupt body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, known for his deep love of the poor and the mountains, will be available for veneration at the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, near the Pantheon, from July 26 through the morning of August 4. According to worldyouthday.com, his coffin will be brought from his tomb in Turin for the event.
Daily visitation hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Masses will be celebrated throughout the week. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney will offer Mass at 11 a.m. on August 4. Additionally, the JP2 Project, a U.S.-based Catholic nonprofit, will accompany pilgrims in prayer and host evening adoration events on July 31 and August 1 titled “Night of Adoration with Pier Giorgio Frassati,” taking place at the Church of Piazza Farnese (Catholic News Agency).
Meanwhile, a few blocks away at the Church of San Marcello al Corso, the Blessed Carlo Acutis Center will honor the teen known for his devotion to the Eucharist and digital evangelization. From July 29–31, visitors can venerate a first-class relic of Acutis’ heart, take part in Eucharistic adoration from 3:30–5 p.m. daily, and submit written prayer intentions to be brought to his tomb in Assisi (Catholic Christian Outreach).
Evening events will feature music, testimonies, and prayer. On July 29 at 11 a.m., young artist Johnny Vrba will unveil a 1,000-piece mosaic of Acutis, and Acutis’ original Eucharistic Miracles exhibit will also be on display.
“A Tangible Link to the Saints”
The veneration of relics — especially first-class relics, such as bones or pieces of a saint’s body — dates back to the Apostolic age. As Catholic News Agency explains, “they are venerated as a tangible link to the saints who intercede from heaven.”
Both Acutis and Frassati will be canonized on September 7 by Pope Leo XIV. Originally, Acutis’ canonization was scheduled for April 27 during the Jubilee of Teenagers but was delayed after the death of Pope Francis in April. The late pontiff had also planned to canonize Frassati during the summertime youth jubilee (worldyouthday.com).
More Young Saints and Events Across Rome
Other events during the Jubilee include tributes to Blessed Ivan Merz, a Croatian intellectual who promoted Catholic youth movements before his death at age 31. On July 30, Jesus Youth International will host a center at the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, including talks, adoration, and confession. A separate talk on Merz’s life will be held at Basilica di San Crisogono in Trastevere at 11:20 a.m. (Catholic News Agency).
Young pilgrims can also learn about Servant of God Sister Clare Crockett, a young Irish nun whose canonization cause is underway. The Centro San Lorenzo, a youth hub near St. Peter’s Basilica and home of the original World Youth Day cross, will host events led by the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother on July 30.
The JP2 Project will also sponsor street evangelization, homeless outreach, and English-language Eucharistic vigils. According to their website, “young adult alumni of its project programs [will] keep watch over Blessed Frassati’s body,” and events will be held in three different locations, open to the public. The center will also offer “confession, an exhibit on St. John Paul II, and a Marian shrine inspired by Pier Giorgio” (jp2project.org/youth-jubilee-mission).
Pilgrimage Through the Streets of Rome
Pilgrims are also invited to take part in a self-guided Young Saints Walk, visiting the tombs and relics of saints who gave witness to holiness in their youth. Stops include St. Agnes, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Philip Neri, and St. John Paul II. A walking route is available through the EWTN Travel app (Catholic News Agency).
As young Catholics descend on the heart of the Church, they will be reminded — through relics, witness, and worship — that holiness is not reserved for the aged or distant past. In the lives of Carlo Acutis, Pier Giorgio Frassati, and many others, young people are being called today to live radically for Christ.
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