Rome: Bishop Robert Barron, a leading voice in digital evangelization, will address over 3,500 American youth pilgrims in Rome on July 30 as part of the global Jubilee of Youth festivities an international Catholic celebration expected to draw more than 100,000 young people to the Eternal City.
The U.S. National Pilgrim Gathering will be held at the historic Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Organized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the event promises a spiritually rich experience featuring Eucharistic adoration, catechesis, and a solemn procession bearing relics of 12 saints and blesseds cherished by the American Church and Catholic youth around the world.
Bishop Barron, who leads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota and chairs the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, will deliver a keynote address focused on “missionary witness in today’s world” a theme close to his heart and central to his Word on Fire media apostolate. His innovative use of platforms like YouTube and Reddit has made him a familiar face among digitally connected Catholics and seekers.
The event, beginning at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET), will be livestreamed on the USCCB’s YouTube channel and broadcast by EWTN, allowing youth groups in the U.S. to participate virtually. Bishop Edward Burns of Dallas, the incoming chairman of the USCCB committee, will lead a Eucharistic Holy Hour during the three-hour program.
Pilgrims will also have the chance to pass through the basilica’s Holy Door opened specially for the Jubilee Year and pray before the tomb of St. Paul, making this a deeply symbolic and spiritual moment for young Catholics on pilgrimage.
This address by Bishop Barron follows the conclusion of another significant event in Rome the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers, which featured keynotes from Jesuit thought leaders and a special Mass by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Jubilee of Youth, which runs from July 28 to August 3, includes a full schedule of cultural and spiritual milestones. Highlights include a penitential service at Circus Maximus on August 1, a massive prayer vigil at Tor Vergata on August 2 led by Pope Leo XIV, and the closing papal Mass on August 3. Pilgrims are also encouraged to visit places connected with young saints using digital pilgrimage tools via the EWTN Travel App.
Sites such as the tombs of St. Cecilia, St. Agnes, and St. Philip Neri will feature prominently, along with access to revered relics including those of Blessed Carlo Acutis, Blessed Ivan Merz, and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Other national delegations will host parallel events. Over 1,000 South Korean pilgrims are scheduled to gather for a special Mass at San Crisogono in Trastevere on July 31, led by Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, with a homily by Bishop Paul Kyung-sang Lee. The Archdiocese of Seoul will host the next World Youth Day in 2027.
Meanwhile, Canadian pilgrims will celebrate their national gathering on July 29 at Sant’Andrea della Valle, uniting the global Catholic youth community in prayer, witness, and joyful faith.