The MAG+S Camp: A Young Ignatian Heart for the Youth Jubilee
From July 28 to August 3, on the occasion of the Youth Jubilee, around one hundred young people from the MAG+S EUM network gathered in Rome to take part in the MAG+S Camp: an intense week of fellowship, service, and spirituality in the heart of Rome. During those days, we shared everything: lodging, meals, prayer, celebrations, and moments of service in the Jesuit churches, transforming everyday life into an opportunity for encounter and witness.
The Visconti Institute, adjacent to the Church of St. Ignatius, became our headquarters and, above all, a true “home” for the young people of the Ignatian family: a courtyard open to all, a place of refreshment, welcome, and encounter for thousands of young pilgrims. From there, each day, after a meaningful time of silent prayer, the volunteers set out to the locations of their activities, driven by a single desire: to serve with joy.
“Many of us were part of the MAG+S group, coming from different places, with stories to tell and different tasks to carry out, but we all shared the same goal: to love others through service. We opened our hearts and put on our fluorescent green vests, becoming volunteers ready to welcome others.”
— Caterina (Italy)
The program was rich and varied: workshops, conferences, celebrations, concerts, and performances, organized in collaboration with numerous Ignatian sisters, Jesuits, and collaborators from our and other provinces. In the small daily acts of service, we discovered the depth of Ignatian spirituality.
“My experience as a MAGIS volunteer during the Youth Jubilee was deeply rooted in Ignatian spirituality — a call to ‘choose’ freely, to find God in all things, and to serve with a heart capable of discernment. Through the MAG+S Camp, I encountered Christ in prayer, in others, in service, and in the joyful moments of community.”
— Cezara (Romania)
The MAG+S Camp was also a time to connect with the city and with the many pilgrims passing through it.
“Being able to talk with young and older people, pilgrims and tourists from all over the world made me realize that God truly becomes close and speaks very concretely through relationships, encounters, and everyday reality. Once again, I experienced a God who can be touched through the sisters and brothers whom He chooses to serve Him, allowing me to experience His Love.”
— Maria Teresa (Italy)
Between fatigue and awe, sweat and smiles, we experienced the deep meaning of community, discovering that hope multiplies through sharing. We take home with us faces, names, hugs, stories — but above all, a heart more open and willing to be sent wherever the Lord calls us to go.
This experience allowed us to witness firsthand that a new way of living is possible: one can choose a lifestyle capable of serving, listening, and giving of oneself. From Rome, we depart with renewed vision, eager to be pilgrims of hope, walking alongside many other young people who wish to live with courage and freedom, responding fully to the call of love they have received.
Fr. Andrea Picciau SJ
