All youth of the Diocese of Venice are invited to join together for a Jubilee Youth Pilgrimage to the DeSoto Eucharistic Monument in Bradenton on April 26, 2025.
This Youth Pilgrimage will be a day of prayer, reflection, adoration and celebration of the Eucharist in the context of the Jubilee Year 2025. Inspired by the Jubilee theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” this event invites youth to grow in their faith, embrace renewal, and strengthen their commitment to Christ. Adoration and Mass on site at the Monument will be celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane.
The Pilgrimage is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Riverview Pointe Preserve (adjacent to the DeSoto National Memorial), 8250 DeSoto Memorial Highway on the Manatee River in Bradenton. This location is the home of the Diocesan Eucharistic Memorial and 60-foot Cross which were dedicated in 1996 to recognize the long history of Catholics in Southwest Florida.
The history of Catholics in the region dates to the 16th Century when Hernando de Soto landed on the coast with 12 priests with the intention of spreading Catholicism to Native Americans of the southeast United States. Diocesan Masses have been celebrated at this location three times, first at the 1996 dedication, then by Bishop Dewane in 2009 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese, and again in 2019 for the 35th anniversary.
Diocesan Youth and Young Adult Outreach Director Andres Prias said the Pilgrimage will offer the youth of the Diocese a time for reflection on the Jubilee Year 2025 and will help them on their journey of conversion as “Pilgrims of Hope,” as they seek to grow closer to the Lord, cultivating hope in their hearts, and bringing hope to others.
The Pilgrimage coincides with the Jubilee of Teenagers in Rome, which falls on the same weekend as the canonization of Carlo Acutis, the First Millennial Saint. Acutis was a computer programmer who died of leukemia at the age of 15, in 2006, and is known for his devotion to the Eucharist and for using his tech skills to create a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions.
In addition to the Youth Pilgrimage, a fourth Youth Jubilee Adoration Night is scheduled for May 2, at St. Paul Parish, 1330 E. Oak. St., Arcadia. The program is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and includes a talk about Jubilee Year 2025, as well as group Adoration. The evening also includes prayer, music, and the opportunity to take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, all before concluding with Benediction. While the Youth Jubilee Adoration Nights are geared toward younger Catholics, with youth-centric music and talks, all are welcome. Earlier Youth Adoration Nights took place Jan. 16, at St. Agnes Parish in Naples and Jan. 31, at St. Andrew Parish in Cape Coral, and March 22, at St. Patrick Parish in Sarasota. There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested at https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/jubilee-2025-adoration-nights-. For more information about the Youth Pilgrimage or Youth Adoration Nights, contact Andres Prias at prias@dioceseofvenice.org or 941-441-1122.
The Youth Pilgrimage is one of several events that have been hosted with the Diocese of Venice in conjunction with the Jubilee Year 2025. For example, on March 29 there was a Diocesan Eucharistic Conference held in Punta Gorda which drew more than 1,800. Additional events are being planned throughout the year.
For more information on the Jubilee Year 2025, please visit at https://dioceseofvenice.org/jubilee-2025-pilgrims-of-hope/.
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
