On Christ the King Sunday Nov. 23 at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon, Bishop Mark Hagemoen presided at Mass to mark World Youth Day in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon.
Established by Saint John Paul II, World Youth Day is a reminder that young people hold a vital place in the life and mission of the Church.
Each year on Christ the King Sunday, dioceses around the world unite in prayer and celebration—connected spiritually to millions of youth and young adults journeying in faith across the globe. This year’s theme was “You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me.” (Jn 15:27)
Young adult missionary shares testimony
Before Mass, third-year music and education student Marie Levesque of Catholic Christian Outreach (CC)) shared testimony about the impact of attending the Jubilee of Youth in Rome with CCO this summer as part of a mission project..
“Being in Rome for the Jubilee of Hope was an absolute blessing. There were so many ways that God worked in my heart during that time, and two of the big ways were through encountering the saints and through encountering Christ in learning about Ignatian discernment of spirits associated with prayer.”
Marie Levesque was part of a CCO mission trip to Rome during the Jubilee of Youth. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Levesque was part of the CCO team that hosted the “Blessed Carlo Acutis Centre” at a church in Rome during the Jubilee of Youth July 29-31, 2025, which included the opportunity for pilgrims to venerate a first-class relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis, who was canonized by Pope Leo in September .
Levesque described how she had always been drawn to the simplicity of what made the 15-year-old a saint. “It was through the Eucharist – the Body and Blood of Jesus – that he became holy,” she said. “One of his many quotes that I love is that he said ‘The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.’”
Seeing the body of the young saint in his clear glass tomb at Assisi was profoundly moving, she said. “And in Rome we had the great blessing of inviting pilgrims to venerate a relic of Blessed Carlo (Saint Carlo now) and encountering Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. And those days made my heart explode: being able to bring others to Jesus along with my friend in heaven – along with being able to evangelize with the other student missionaries on my trip.”
Another key feature of the trip was putting Ignatian discernment into practice, Levesque said. “Through prayer and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal what lies I had been believing about God, others, and my identity, God revealed a deep truth that I had been struggling to believe. He reminded me of his love and his delight, and responded to my fears with the simple words, ‘You are a blessing.’ This transformed the rest of the mission and ignited my heart to share the Gospel with the other pilgrims, inviting them to encounter the love that God has for each one of them as well.”
She concluded: “I am so grateful and utterly blessed to have gotten this experience and grow deeper in my faith, while being able to tell others about it in a beautiful way through Jesus, our hope. And today, on the Feast of Christ the King, I invite you – in the silence of your heart as we enter into Mass – to invite Jesus to be the King of your universe.”
Bishop’s homily
In his homily, Bishop Mark Hagemoen reflected on how World Youth Day is marked on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
“When we celebrate Christ the King who is like no other king, we are quickly confronted with how we are called to share his kingship” through our baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and king, noted the bishop, “so that we may live as members of his Body, sharing his life”.
He then turned to Pope Leo’s message for World Youth Day as an example of what this kingship means for young missionary disciples, quoting the Holy Father: “dear young people, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can become missionaries of Christ in the world.”
Pope Leo continues: “Many of your peers are exposed to violence, forced to use weapons, separated from their loved ones, and compelled to migrate or flee. Many lack education and other essential goods. All share with you the search for meaning and the insecurity that accompanies it, the discomfort of growing social and work pressures, the difficulty of dealing with family crises, the painful feeling of a lack of opportunities, as well as the remorse for mistakes they have made. You can stand alongside other young people, walk with them and show that God, in Jesus, has drawn close to each person.”
Message for 4oth Annual World Youth Day from Pope Leo – LINK
A social gathering was held at the conclusion of the World Youth Day Mass.
The next World Youth Day global gathering will be held in Seoul, Korea in 2027.
Sr. Marta Piano of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity (left) and Bishop Mark Hagemoen with young adults at the World Youth Day celebration Nov. 23 in Saskatoon. (Submitted photo
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