PILGRIM and MISSIONARY: Fulfilling Jubilee of Youth for diocesan parishioner

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Among the million young adult pilgrims attending the Jubilee of Youth in Rome from July 28 to Aug. 3 was Sioux City parishioner Grace Mahaney.

The 22-year-old member of Holy Cross Parish in Sioux City described the event as very unifying as people from different nationalities and cultures came together for a common belief and purpose.

The Jubilee of Youth began with an opening Mass in St. Peter’s Square.

“Pope Leo came to the Mass and he did a drive-by – waving to everyone. It was really beautiful to see the uproar of the youth in seeing our pope, seeing him as our father,” said Mahaney, who noted that as an American pope, the connection to him was even stronger.

Throughout the week, she noted there were numerous events, various speakers presented in a variety of languages and church tours for the pilgrims to attend.

Grace Mahaney enlists help of fellow missionary to get a better view of the pope at the vigil.

“Many people had their own schedules, a lot of people had groups they attended with,” said the 2025 graduate of Benedictine College.As the week drew to a close, a million pilgrims hiked several miles to a field where closing events were held.

“We stayed the night there. Everyone brought a sleeping bag and a tarp to sleep on,” Mahaney said. 

Pope Leo XIV arrived at a field via helicopter for a vigil in which he led a holy hour. The young adults knelt on the ground for eucharistic adoration. 

“There was music and so much joy. It was so moving to see all of the young people. Typically, when there are so many people it is typically chaotic, but when adoration started it was a great calm,” she said. “It makes you think, wow who is Jesus that he is able to probe a million people to come out to this field and kneel before him and be silent before him.”

The next morning Pope Leo celebrated Mass for the group. Offering the homily in many languages, she noted words in English were brief but she recalled that he stressed people cannot do the good they desire without the help of God.

“He shared that we must be friends with Christ and we must hold tightly on to him so that we can allow the good to spread throughout the world – allow hope, charity and peace to spread,” said Mahaney. 

Pilgrim and missionary
By participating in the jubilee, she said one of the biggest things she learned was what it means to be a pilgrim.

“It’s not always an easy thing. It is hot outside and when you are walking so much your feet start to hurt. There are crowds of people rushing past each other,” she described. “It’s not easy to be a pilgrim, but I wouldn’t want it to be.”
Within the call to be a pilgrim, Mahaney said there is a call to sacrifice – much like that of the lives of many saints. There was also the call to look beyond self and be filled with hope.

She traveled to the jubilee gathering with the JPII Project, an international organization that expanded its mission to include retreats, pilgrimages and programs inspired by the philosophy and life of Saint John Paul II. At the Jubilee of Youth, the group with JPII Project created a space where they provided adoration and lined up some talks for pilgrims.

“I was on pilgrimage, but also in a particular way, I was there to help as a missionary to invite people deeper into prayer by providing a space for silent prayer because Rome is very bustling, busy and loud,” said Mahaney, who noted they were allowed to set up space in a church outside of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

In addition, the grou

Opening of Jubilee of Youth at St. Peter's Square.

p did some homeless ministry in the mornings that was inspired by Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

“I was there (at the jubilee) to pray, but I was also there to serve,” she said.

The Jubilee of Youth is just one of the many pilgrimages and spiritual events planned during the year-long Jubilee of Hope focused on mercy and renewal with the theme of Pilgrims of Hope that is being celebrated in the Catholic Church until Jan. 6, 2026.  

Desire to attend
Last summer as a senior in college, she participated in a travel abroad program in Poland through the JPII Project and has stayed connected with the group by attending various events.

When she first learned of the Jubilee of Youth, Mahaney was moved to attend as she has a strong connection with Blessed Frassati. Originally, he was going to be canonized in early August – so she wanted to attend both.

“At the end of the travel abroad program, I had spent extra time in Italy,” said Mahaney, who traveled to northern Italy and Frassati’s hometown. “I got to spend a whole day at his family’s estate in Pollone (Italy) where he would spend his summers and I got to meet his niece.” 

She began to read up on him and pray to him as she was moved by his life, story and devotion to the beatitudes.

In addition, Mahaney visited Rome last summer and was able to see the jubilee doors that were closed at the time. Those doors provided additional motivation to attend the jubilee year.

Jubilee doors
“It was a few months before the Jubilee Year (of Hope) had started and the doors were opened. I was incredibly moved by seeing the doors. I had heard of the jubilee year but didn’t know much about these doors,” she said. 

Mahaney found the massive doors with bronze-plated illustrations of different stories within

Holy doors at St. Peter's Basilica.

salvation history – featuring a scene of Adam and Eve, the Prodigal Son, Peter’s denial, the crucifixion and more – to be inspiring.

“When I saw these doors I was so moved and struck by this recognition that my life is the story of mercy and my life resonates with salvation history. I was able to see myself within the door – within the images,” she said. “When I knew these doors would be opened, I prayed, ‘Lord, pretty please, if it be your will, let me walk through these doors.’”

God made a way for her to return to Rome through the JPII Project.

“I got to walk through the doors, which was a very profound experience,” said Mahaney. “It was very special to get to know what this place had meant to me and to get to prepare my heart for it.”

It was Pope Francis who opened the holy doors Dec. 24, 2024, at St. Peter’s Basilica as the holy year Jubilee of Hope began.

While Blessed Frassati’s canonization has been moved to Sept. 7 alongside Blessed Carlo Acutis, Mahaney mentioned the JPII Project group was among volunteers that helped to guard the body of Blessed Frassati that was brought to Rome.

“The pilgrims were not able to go right up to his tomb, so we directed traffic in the church where his body was,” said Mahaney. “If people wanted their rosaries blessed by his tomb we would put the rosaries on his tomb for them.”

Blessings and hope
The jubilee brought many blessings and spiritual moments, even happenings that were not specifically tied to religious events.

Despite the huge number of people in Rome, one day Mahaney ran into another young parishioner from the diocese – Erin Flattery of Fort Dodge. The two had met at Iowa State University.

“It was really amazing and the crazy thing was is that when we ran into one another it wasn’t near St. Peter’s Basilica or in a busy area, it was on a random side street. It was the Lord’s providence,” said Mahaney, who mentioned she ran into a few others she knew as well.

With all of the experiences throughout the week, this event within the greater Jubilee of Hope did for Mahaney was the year was intended – served as a reminder that the faithful are to be pilgrims of hope.

“To see the body of Christ, the church, come alive – I’m so grateful,” she said. “This week I got to see hope come to the surface. Hope is burning in the church.”

After serving as a summer intern for the Office of Faith Formation, Mahaney will spend the next year as a missionary for Christ in the City serving the homeless in Denver.

(COVER/TOP PHOTO - Grace Mahaney, on far right, with fellow JPII Project missionaries.)

ILLUMINATING CATHOLICS PODCAST - Grace Mahaney was recently featured in an episode where she discussed her upcoming year of service as a missionary for Christ in the City. CLICK HERE to check it out!