Lamego hosts REJOICE 2026 youth pilgrimage with papal video and local celebrations

From 24 to 26 July 2026, the city of Lamego in Portugal hosted the second edition of REJOICE, a national youth pilgrimage that attracted more than 1,200 young Catholics from across the country.

The event opened with the inauguration of Parque Urbano D. António Francisco dos Santos, named after the late bishop who served the Diocese of Porto. A homily by Cardinal D. Américo Aguiar, President of the Episcopal Commission for Laity, Family and Life, urged participants to trust fully in God and to build bridges of dialogue. Archbishop D. José Cordeiro of Braga also addressed youths during a catechesis session at the historic Igreja das Chagas.

A video message from Pope Leo XIV was broadcast at the closing vigil, encouraging hope, peace and a commitment to the Gospel. The gathering also featured a confessional space called the Parque do Perdão, where hundreds of youths received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A video link with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem, allowed the Pope‑linked prelate to speak directly to the participants about hope and solidarity in times of conflict.