A Place for You at
the Heart of Rome
 “You are the future of the world, the
hope of the Church. You are my hope !” (John Paul II, March 13, 1983). It was
with these words that the Holy Father John Paul II inaugurated the San Lorenzo International Centre, as a
place of welcome, fellowship ans sharing for young pilgrims from all over the world.
The San Lorenzo Centre was the first mission entrusted to the Emmanuel Community. It is a special place to experience the Church, that is young, alive and beautiful, through witnesses from young people from around the world. It has been made available by the Curia.
Everything here is geared towards
welcoming young people, whether as individuals or in groups. The San Lorenzo Centre is
located in the Vatican two steps away from St. Peter's Square.
Every day it is possible to adore the Blessed Sacrament, and to hear Mass in different languages, or to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation in the Church of San Lorenzo in Piscibus.
The Centre was
instrumental in the founding and the organization of the first World Youth
Days. On April 22, 1984, the Pope confided the Pilgrim’s Cross to the youth of
the CSL to carry around the world as a sign of the love of God for all
humanity. The Church of San Lorenzo remains the “home base” for this cross.
On the twentieth
anniversary of the Centre, John Paul II asked the youth to pray particularly
for the WYD in Cologne.
All are invited to pray on Fridays from 4 :00 pm until
6 :30 pm when a Mass is celebrated by a cardinal or bishop.
Pilgrims also can
attend daily Mass at 6 :00 pm ; there is an hour of eucharistic adoration immediately
beforehand. In addition, the Centre is able to help you organize group visits
of Rome and the Vatican
The CSL welcomes pilgrims year round
(except during August) from 11 :00 am to 7 :00 pm, Monday through Friday. Do
not hesitate to contact us before or during your trip to Rome. His Holiness
John Paul II opened the CSL in 1983, and placed it under the responsibility of
the Pontifical Council on the Laity. Its mission is “to give an authentic
witness to the Gospel” in such a way that young pilgrims arriving in Rome and
searching for Christ will encounter the living Church through contact with the
volunteers of the Centre. The CSL has become a place of welcome, prayer,
sharing, and fellowship.
This initiative has flourished as the fruit of the
collaboration between the Pontifical Council on the Laity and the Emmanuel
Community, to whom the coordination of the Centre was confided in 1983.
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