Fœderatio Internationalis Juventutem

The name « Juventutem » was mentioned for the first time on 24^th May 2004, in correspondence between the founders of Juventutem. 24^th May is of course the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians. Following the victory of Christendom over the Turks at Lepanto, in the Ionian islands (1571), the Pope, St Pius V, had inserted in the litanies to the Blessed Virgin the invocation to Our Lady «Help of Christians. »  It was also under this title that Pope Pius VII created a feast day, on 24^th May, in honour of the Virgin Mary, to express his gratitude for deliverance in 1814 from exile and the captivity imposed on him by Napoleon I. 24^th May is considered to be the anniversary of Juventutem. The « International Juventutem Federation», was founded at Berne in Switzerland on 24^th May 2006.   

Juventutem made itself manifest for the first time in August 2005 (in Bavaria and then in Düsseldorf) during the triennial World Youth Days. From its inception, however, Juventutem was intended to be a permanent structure with the purpose of sanctifying young traditional Catholics by demonstrating their diversity and vitality in regular activities.

Juventutem was founded in the context of the year of the Eucharist, decreed and inaugurated by Pope John Paul II in October 2004 and concluded by Pope Benedict XVI in October 2005. Since its beginning and in future, Juventutem has entrusted and will entrust its members and works to the Son of God made Man, Jesus Christ our Saviour, present in the Blessed Eucharist. Juventutem will be represented by a monstrance with, in its centre, the Blessed Host. The word Juventutem will also be shown in blue below the monstrance, thus demonstrating the Marian character of Juventutem. The year 2005, proclaimed as Year of the Eucharist, also marked the 150^th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of Immaculate Conception and our association was consecrated to Our Lady on Good Friday, 25^th March 2005, coinciding with the Feast of the Annunciation.