Jesus Youth marks anniversary in Rome

By Sr. Soniya K Chacko, DC

Young people from around the world who are part of Jesus Youth—an international Catholic youth movement with roots in Kerala, India—will gather in Rome from 20 to 25 October 2026 for the GO Conference 2026.

Members of Jesus Youth will come together at the heart of the universal Church to renew their commitment to Christ and the mission of evangelization.

A total of 1,128 delegates from 41 countries, who are members of the Jesus Youth Movement, will participate in the event, along with 15 bishops, 63 priests, 12 sisters, and more than 1,000 lay faithful.

The gathering will bring together young people, priests, bishops, Church leaders and members of Jesus Youth from different parts of the world. Built around the themes of Communion, Mission, Participation, and Sending, the programme reflects the movement’s desire to grow as a missionary community rooted in Christ and united with the Church.

The conference opens on 20 October with an arrival day. The following days will explore the themes Communion – Grow Together; Mission – Love Beyond Borders; Participation – Walking Together as a Synodal Movement; and finally Sending – Go to the Ends of the Earth.

The programme features representatives of Catholic movements from different parts of the world. It will culminate on 25 October with the Closing Holy Mass, celebrated by Bishop Alex Joseph Vadakumthala of Kannur and Ecclesiastical Advisor of Jesus Youth.

From Kerala to the world

Jesus Youth traces its beginnings to Kerala, India, in the context of the charismatic renewal of the 1980s. A group of young people gathered together in 1985 during the International Year of Youth and began a journey of prayer, fellowship, and evangelization. The movement gradually came to be known as Jesus Youth.

What began as small gatherings of young people in Kerala developed into a growing network of prayer groups and missionary communities. Over the past four decades, the movement has spread beyond India to the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, the United States, and other parts of the world.

Today, Jesus Youth is present in more than 50 countries. In 2016, the movement received pontifical recognition, marking an important stage in its journey within the universal Church.

A spirituality built around six pillars

At the heart of Jesus Youth is a spirituality centred on six pillars: prayer, the Word of God, the sacraments, fellowship, evangelization, and the option for the poor.

Through personal and community prayer, reflection on Scripture and frequent participation in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, members are encouraged to grow in holiness.

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Fellowship enables them to experience Christian community, while evangelization calls them to share the joy of the Gospel. The movement’s commitment to the poor keeps its missionary spirituality rooted in concrete Christian service.

As a lay movement, Jesus Youth seeks to live the Gospel within the ordinary realities of society. Its members serve and evangelise in families, schools, universities, workplaces, parishes, and communities, seeking to make Christ present through their daily lives.

Young people sent on mission

Music and creativity have played an important role in the life of Jesus Youth. Bands and musical initiatives have become an important means through which young people express and share the joy of faith.

Over the decades, many young people who encountered Christ through Jesus Youth have gone on to serve the Church in different vocations and forms of missionary commitment.

The GO Conference 2026 in Rome therefore represents more than an anniversary celebration. It is an invitation to look back with gratitude and forward with renewed missionary zeal.

As Jesus Youth gather in Rome, the movement’s journey from small prayer gatherings in Kerala to a worldwide Catholic youth movement becomes a testimony to the transforming power of faith, fellowship, and missionary discipleship.

From Rome, young people of Jesus Youth will once again hear the Church’s call: to encounter Christ, to walk together and to go forth to the ends of the earth with the joy of the Gospel.