Circus Maximus, a place of martyrdom for early Christians

I biked around the ancient stones of Circus Maximus.

This place was once the brutal stage of martyrdom, where early Christians shed their blood for Christ.

Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

But here’s the miracle:
In 2025, that same field was filled with over one million young Catholics, pilgrims from more than 150 nations for the Jubilee of Youth, praising God, confessing at confessionals set up in the Circus Maximus, and witnessing the miracle of hope.
As Pope Leo XIV preached, “My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible.”

The next generation declares but through it. The seed spilled by martyrs has sprouted vibrant youth and hope.

The Church is not buried in history. She is rising in the hearts of young pilgrims, right where the blood was shed.