A Grace Filled Journey

​A pioneering figure in the journey of Jesus Youth, Manoj Sunny led as Kerala Coordinator (1996–1998) before serving as the movement’s first National and International Coordinator. Today, alongside his role as Director of Formation, he serves as Executive Director of the Office of Evangelisation for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. Instrumental in guiding the movement’s official dialogue with the Holy See—a path that led to its definitive pontifical approval in 2026—he looks back on the road travelled following the landmark Go! Conference in Rome, celebrated alongside the joy of the movement’s first Papal Audience.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am still reflecting on the deep impact our first-ever international conference in Rome had on me. Let me share a few personal memories and the quiet moments of grace that brought this gathering to life. We are preparing a detailed reflection based on the message of Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, unpacking what the Spirit is asking of our movement and the practical directions set before us.

The seeds of this gathering were planted back in 2024. During my first trip to Rome after my surgery in May 2025, Midhun and I went to the Mariapolis Centre, a place I had visited several times before. Noting the Holy Father’s schedule for the 40th anniversary of the historic peace summit launched by St. John Paul II, we aimed for dates around that time to ensure he would be in Rome. But to our surprise, he had to cancel his visit to Assisi, scheduled for the 27th for health reasons, and we had our audience with him on the 24th! The Holy Spirit works in the most surprising ways.

When the venue staff asked for our expected attendance at the time of booking, we initially estimated 500. A moment later, we caught each other’s eye and said 800. We both smiled. It was a pure leap of faith. Coming shortly after the Jubilee Year of the Church, when travel demands were already high, we genuinely did not know what was possible. Yet the Holy Spirit gently shattered our expectations: we aimed for 500, stepped out in faith for 800, and ultimately welcomed more than 1000 delegates. It was made possible only because those who dared to come to Rome made great sacrifices – war challenges, leave issues, visa rejections, finances, and more. Each of the delegates brought their rich experience to this conference. It was a great joy for me to meet once again leaders across generations.

Coordinating an event of this scale in Rome was no easy task. Midhun, Charles, Anoop, and the supporting team, worked hard to make this happen. The programme team, led by Bijesh, carried an immense weight. They handled continuous shifts in dignitary availability, sudden timetable adjustments, and hundreds of schedule revisions over several months.

Most delegates thought we had known earlier about the definitive approval of our statutes and that it was part of the programme. It is true that the Dicastery had approved the amendments we proposed during our assembly. But on the morning of the 21st at 5:34 am, I received the following text from them: “Dear Manoj, Bishop Dario and Father Giovanni will bring the Decree confirming Jesus Youth’s recognition as an international association of the faithful and granting definitive approval of the statutes. We suggest that you organise things with them so that either before Mass or at the end of Mass, there is a short time in front of the whole assembly, when Fr Giovanni can read out the Decree, and then Bishop Dario can hand over the documents to the President”.

It was a great surprise for all of us! As usual, the Holy Spirit works in the most unpredictable and astonishing ways in our movement!

Convening in the heart of Rome made this event far deeper than an ordinary international conference. We never could have imagined this kind of program had we hosted it anywhere other than Rome. Alongside the regular Jesus Youth conference sessions that are part of every conference, we wanted to fulfil two vital, reciprocal purposes:

1. Our community should experience the heart of the universal Church firsthand.

Toward the end of our time together, a small group of leaders approached me and said: “Until now, we only knew how the Church views our movement through the sharings of you and a few leaders, mainly the International Coordinators who interact directly with the Holy See. Being here allowed us to witness it ourselves. Seeing how warmly the Church embraces our charism gave us a whole new appreciation of our identity and mission.”

When I heard this, I told them this was exactly what we had desired. We wanted over a thousand leaders from 43 countries to have this experience, become truly proud of the richness and beauty of our movement, and commit themselves more deeply to the mission of the movement. I personally received hundreds of messages after the conference, and I quote a sentence from one of our key leaders: “This conference sparked a profound personal conviction within me. It completely strengthened my commitment to our shared mission and gave me a deeper, clearer sense of purpose for the future.”

2. The hierarchy of the Church should witness the true face of our movement.

In the past, Vatican officials typically interacted with a handful of international coordinators and a few other leaders. This conference brought our full reality before them: the rich diversity of cultures, countries, languages, and shared evangelical spirit. They were able to experience the living community directly. This is a quote from an email from Rev. Fr. Giovanni Buontempo, who is in charge of the Ecclesial Movements in the Church, after removing some of the personal lines addressed to me:
“I found an atmosphere of communion, joy, and great missionary zeal among all the participants. One could sense that the general atmosphere was filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit among you. Let us thank the Lord for the closeness He shows you and for the many gifts He is bestowing upon you. I was delighted to meet Bishop Alex in person, as well as the many other bishops and priests who accompany you. I was also greatly comforted by the presence of the various groups that have sprung up in different regions of Europe—Italy, Slovenia, Poland, etc.—with so many local young people and couples who have embraced the charism of Jesus Youth. I believe the Holy Father’s message was also very encouraging for all of you; he showed great confidence in the work you are carrying out and entrusted you with even greater tasks. Do not be afraid. We are all very weak, but the Lord does great things even through humble instruments! I am certain that you will continue with great generosity, discernment, and humility all the work of evangelisation that you have begun in so many parts of the world. Fraternal greetings, and may the Lord bless you.” We have already received very positive feedback from the Cardinals and Bishops who addressed us during the conference, expressing similar sentiments.

Above all, the Holy Father’s address to us was the crowning moment of our days together. To hear his blessing, his validation of our path, and his specific guidance for the road ahead was deeply moving.

We have been truly blessed to have Bishop Alex Vadakumthala walking alongside us at this crucial point in time. Despite his demanding responsibilities as a Bishop, he always made time for us—offering wise counsel, accompanying our teams, inviting and following up with dignitaries, and quietly checking in on how each one of us is doing. As we step into this new chapter, his warm, fatherly presence has been our greatest anchor.

I sincerely pray that the Jesus Youth movement will continue to move forward in a new direction, led by the Spirit. I pray that we will remain faithful missionaries, leaving familiar shores to reach new peripheries, and that we will be able to “take on new challenges and bear new fruit,” as the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV exhorted us.

Yours in Christ,

Manoj Sunny