The 2026 edition of the Acamps Summer Festival, organized by the Shalom Catholic Community, concluded on Sunday (July 19) with the celebration of Holy Mass at the Grotto of the Apparitions in Lourdes, France. The site, where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous, welcomed the festival’s young people, families, and missionaries for a celebration of thanksgiving for the graces received throughout the five-day event and a missionary commissioning.
The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Father Tiago Soares, who oversees the Shalom Catholic Community’s missions throughout Europe. In his homily, he recalled that everyone had arrived in Lourdes as pilgrims, coming from different countries and backgrounds but united by the shared desire to renew their hope.
“A pilgrimage is much more than traveling to a holy place. It is an interior journey in which we allow God to transform our hearts. Every true pilgrimage has a destination: the Kingdom of God.”
Reflecting on the Gospel parable of the wheat and the weeds, Father Tiago emphasized that the Christian mission is not to focus on evil, but to bear witness to hope and to accompany others with patience, mercy, and truth.
“Our mission is not to become experts at pointing out the weeds, but witnesses of hope. We are called to walk alongside young people, helping them discover the beauty of following Jesus.”
Recalling the apparitions of Our Lady to Saint Bernadette, Father Tiago also highlighted a simple gesture that marked the beginning of that story: Mary’s smile.
“Before speaking to Bernadette, before even entrusting her with any message, Mary smiled. As Pope Benedict XVI once recalled, that smile was the first revelation because it reflected the tenderness of God.”
Throughout the festival, participants took part in a rich program that combined recreation, sports, team competitions, concerts, a talent night, prayer, formation, fellowship, and multicultural interaction. The schedule also included the Life in the Spirit Seminar, pilgrimages to sites associated with the life of Saint Bernadette, the traditional Candlelight Procession, Eucharistic celebrations, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
One of the highlights of this year’s program was the course “Peace Be With You! The Christian and Social Life,” organized by the YOUCAT Foundation. The course marked the first implementation of the F.I.A.T. Shalom 7 method, developed in collaboration with the Shalom Catholic Community. The final event of the Acamps Summer Festival was a period of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament in the Lower Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Held in a different location each year, the Acamps Summer Festival continues to serve as an evangelization initiative of the Shalom Catholic Community, offering young people an opportunity to encounter God, deepen their Christian formation, and proclaim the Gospel.
