“To meet and pray together in preparation for the Synod on Young People scheduled for October, which is an epochal event. In this sense, the world of youth ministry, and the ecclesial world in general, cannot but start with prayer”. In an interview with SIR news agency, Fr. Michele Falabretti, responsible for the National Youth Ministry Service (SNPG) of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), gave an overview of the upcoming meeting of the Italian youth with Pope Francis in Rome (11-12 August) entitled “We are here”. At least 50,000 young people from almost 200 dioceses will reach Italy’s capital after a week’s journey along the pilgrim routes of their homeland. Walking with them will be over 100 bishops and 1,200 priests. “Since the Synod is a journey, we wanted to think of this meeting as a shared journey, aimed primarily at young people. The aim is for them to feel that the Church wants to walk with them and accompany them. And above all, to feel that they can – if they want to – walk within a community, within the Church”. According to Fr. Falabretti, “we should not lose sight of the fact that we are called. It seems to me that we Christians are losing sight of the fact that ‘I believe because Someone calls me’. We should rediscover that we are called by the Word of God, through the Church. The very fact of walking together reminds us of this”. And he went on to say: “Christians of our times are called to set out on a journey – this is the attitude we should have – to become travelling companions. It is worth noting that it is during the journey that we learn the stories of men and women, the difficulties they face in their lives and in their faith. In the encounter with the stories of the saints and of witnesses, young people encounter a Gospel that is lived out, thereby learning it. We truly get to know the Gospel when we encounter it; it is not enough to hear it”.