Young People at the Exodus Session in Lourdes, France, Encounter Saint Josemaria Escriva

On March 6-8, 2026, in Lourdes, France, the Exodus Session brought together several hundred students and young professionals from across southwestern France. Among the exhibitors in the forum, a booth dedicated to St. Josemaria introduced the founder of Opus Dei and his message of holiness in everyday life to many curious young people.

The St. Josemaria booth was organized by Quitterie and her husband—a couple who are both supernumerary members of Opus Dei and dedicated to making St. Josemaria and his message known in France.

Prior to the event, Quitterie reached out to the St. Josemaria Institute because she had heard of our mission and our participation at conferences and events around the USA. We proudly became a sponsor of the booth at Lourdes. And we are grateful to Quitterie for sharing her experience and outreach to young people.

An Initiative with a Shared Calling

The initiative took shape almost simultaneously. The Exodus Session team in France personally invited Quitterie and her husband to host a booth dedicated to St. Josemaria, while at the same time a similar idea was emerging at the student parish in Toulouse. “The idea was born in several hearts at once,” Quitterie explains, and from this shared inspiration a team naturally formed.

Because the Exodus conference focused on the theme of work—drawing in part on St. Josemaria’s teachings on the sanctification of work—the team anticipated that participants would want a place to continue their reflections, ask questions, and connect more deeply. “It felt natural to offer a dedicated booth where students leaving the conference could stop and talk,” she says.

In the midst of this gathering of young people searching for meaning and discerning their personal paths, St. Josemaria emerged as a concrete and compelling answer. “They are all striving to become better people and to discern a vocation and a way of serving the world. We were convinced that through St. Josemaria they would encounter a loving father figure, with an open and universal heart.”

Sowing Seeds

Very quickly, the team sprang into action. Advice gathered from abroad, support received, ideas exchanged and, above all, a clear direction. “We approached this with the perspective of sowers: What exactly did we want to sow?” The booth wouldn’t just be informative; it would be lively, welcoming, and joyful. Quotes from St. Josemaria, drawn at random from a basket, were distributed, along with books, medals, and prayer cards; but also, more simply, offering snacks and drinks during breaks. Yellow sweatshirts, visible from afar, set the tone: here, joy is the theme. “We wanted to attract people, to be generous, and to share the joy of St. Josemaria and his love for freedom.” Throughout the weekend, the team took turns staffing the booth: young people, couples, and older individuals. This diversity speaks volumes about the message they came to share.

“How can I be a child of God at work?”

From Friday evening onward, the tone was set. The booth staff approached the other exhibitors. The exchanges were spontaneous and fraternal. “The joy was in introducing ourselves to the other booths… we could almost have gone home the very first evening with a sense of accomplishment!” But it was especially on Saturday that the flow became constant. Young people aged 18 to 35 came and went. Students and young professionals, singles and couples. Many were discovering St. Josemaria for the first time. Questions flew deep and fast, very practical ones too: “How can I be a child of God at work?” The theme of the sanctification of work resonated particularly deeply. It directly addressed the concerns of these young people still developing their lives. “The message that touched them most was the sanctification of their studies and their work,” explained Quitterie.

Encounters that touch and transform

As the hours passed, certain scenes left a deeper impression. A young man stopped, pulled a quote from St. Josemaria from the basket. It seemed written just for him. Surprise. Silence. Emotion. “Several felt connected to it, with surprise, joy… sometimes even genuine emotion. One person, already deeply affected by an encounter with Opus Dei abroad, found there an opportunity to delve deeper. Another, already familiar with St. Josemaria, came seeking a precise, almost technical, answer to his message. Even priests stop by, offering encouragement and urging people to make this saint better known, ‘no longer keeping him for a small circle.’”

What speaks to young people today

Through these conversations, Quitterie learned what resonated most among the participants: the story of a vocation imbued with “great love”; St. Josemaria’s fatherly heart; the simplicity of the plan of life; and, above all, the strong conviction that holiness is possible for everyone. “Finding and loving God where you are, with your life” An idea that is both simple and radical, resonating deeply with a generation seeking unity between faith and life.

He belongs to everyone

In retrospect, the experience surpassed all expectations. “This booth was contagious in its presence and its message. The young people were thirsty.” Quitterie put it powerfully, “St. Josemaria wasn’t just remembered, he seemed present: He returned to Lourdes with his open arms, his affectionate heart, and his magnanimous gaze.”  That weekend left a deep conviction: “This great saint must be given more intensely to everyone. He belongs to everyone.”

A place for encounter

To sum up these two days in one image, Quitterie recalled a passage from Scripture: “He will bring the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers” (Mal 3:24). It is as if, at the heart of this event for young people, an encounter had taken place: that of a generation with a spiritual fatherhood capable of accompanying it. And in the middle of the forum, a simple booth had been the place for this encounter.