The nearly 2,000 young people who since last Friday have been taking part in the III Youth Eucharistic Marian Gathering (JEMJ) at the Covadonga shrine will learn today the message that Pope Leo XIV has sent them for the occasion. The letter will be read by the Archbishop of Oviedo, Monsignor Jesús Sanz Montes, at the end of the closing Mass.
It was the archbishop himself who announced the news after receiving the communication from the Apostolic Nunciature in Spain.
“Peace and good. I have just received through the Nunciature in Spain a beautiful letter from Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of our gathering in Covadonga. It will be read at the Mass on the final day,” wrote Sanz Montes.
This year’s edition has brought together nearly 2,000 young people, a figure that far exceeds the participation of previous editions and practically reaches the capacity limit set by the organizers. In addition to participants from all over Spain, the gathering has welcomed young people from the United States, Ireland, Portugal, the Czech Republic and other countries.
According to the Archdiocese of Oviedo, the announcement of the papal letter has been received with special joy by the organizers and participants, coming just weeks after Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to Spain. The reading of the message is scheduled for the end of the midday Eucharist this Sunday, which will conclude the gathering and announce the date and theme of the next Youth Eucharistic Marian Gathering in 2027.