Pope Leo XIV was visibly moved to tears by a remarkable display at the youth vigil at the Stade de France, which depicted Christianity’s role in shaping the history of France and Western civilisation through the actions of devoted adherents over the millennia.
More than 80,000 mostly young people poured into France’s largest stadium on Friday evening to join Pope Leo in celebrating the lives of French saints and their role in Christianity’s nearly two-thousand-year history in France.
In a series of tableaux, some 1,700 young people donned historical costumes representing the blesseds and saints of France, which throughout its history has been home to the second-most saints of any nation in the world, trailing only Italy.
The Footsteps of the Saints production began with some of the earliest evangelists, including Saint Saturninus, who travelled to Gaul to proclaim the Gospel in the Third Century, became the first bishop of Toulouse, and was martyred after refusing to perform a pagan sacrifice ritual. Mary Magdalene was also portrayed as a saint of hope, with a long-held tradition in Provence claiming she carried out the first evangelisation in the region after travelling there with Martha, Lazarus, and other followers after being saved by Christ.
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 25: Faithful take part in a theatrical performance in ten scenes depicting French saints and virtues during a prayer vigil with young people at the Stade de France on September 25 in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, France. (Photo by Tom Nicholson/Getty Images)
The procession then turned to early martyrs of the Church in France, such as Saint Blandina, a young slave woman who was tortured by the Romans and killed by beasts in an amphitheatre in Lyon during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. The celebration also celebrated Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris, who was sent to the area by the Church in the third century, before having his head cut off at Montmartre, meaning the “Mount of Martyrs”, which is now the home of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
A tableau was then displayed of the baptism of Clovis, a Frankish King who converted to Christianity, one of the most significant conversions in Christian history, as it is seen as having spurred the Christianisation of France and laid the groundwork for the later creation of the Holy Roman Empire.
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 25: Faithful take part in a theatrical performance in ten scenes depicting French saints and virtues during a prayer vigil with young people at the Stade de France on September 25 in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, France. (Photo by Tom Nicholson/Getty Images)
Saint Louis, who was crowned King of France in Reims—the same location as Clovis’s baptism—was also portrayed as a young man who presented Pope Leo with a replica of the Crown of Thorns while barefoot, demonstrating humility. The only king of France officially proclaimed a saint by the Church, Louis founded many hospitals and monasteries in France.
Focus on charity and devotion to the poor was also invoked by the portrayals of Saint Vincent de Paul, who founded the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, and Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who dedicated much of his life to the education of impoverished children. The charities founded by the two men would lay the groundwork for the modern understanding of human rights.
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 25: General view of a prayer vigil with young people led by Pope Leo XIV at the Stade de France on September 25, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Perhaps the most stirring of all portrayals was that of Joan of Arc, who entered the stadium on horseback as she represented the courage of the Patron Saint of France, famed for her piety and her role in breaking the English siege of Orléans in 1429, before being burned at the stake after wrongly being convicted as a heretic. She was later canonised in 1920 by Benedict XV.
The ceremony at the Stade de France also featured some 60 relics of French Saints, including those of Saint Martin and Vincent de Paul, as well as the Holy Tunic of Christ, which Irene of Constantinople gifted to Charlemagne over 1,200 years ago.
At the conclusion of the performance, all 1,700 saints gathered before Pope Leo as fireworks blasted from the top of the stadium. Moved by the display, Leo was visibly brought to tears. In an off-the-cuff moment, he proclaimed: “Thank you for your courage, thank you for your presence, thank you for your faith. You are the saints of France!”
In a speech to the tens of thousands of young people, Pope Leo said: “In the night, the light appears even brighter. This, dear young people, is how we have heard together the words of Saint Paul. We want to hold them high, like a torch that illuminates not only the prayer of each individual, but also the entire history of the Church.”
“Those who live with God strive for what is best: they are constantly striving. They seek virtue, that is, the strength that makes them good and true. Dear friends, the dynamic that characterises Christian life has a precise name: it is called the path of holiness. It is the path that the Lord opens before each of us, accompanying us all along the way. And how many sons and daughters of this beloved land of France have allowed themselves to be led on this path!” he added.
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 25: Youth attend a concert as part of a prayer vigil with young people led by Pope Leo XIV at the Stade de France on September 25 in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, France. (Photo by Tom Nicholson/Getty Images)
The stirring event was hailed by many of those in attendance, including 22-year-old Mathieu from Toulon, who said: “The saints have greatly influenced history and helped many people move from suffering to hope. These are words that resonate very strongly today. The presentation was very moving; it is good to see these living figures among the young people. They became one with all the groups of young people present. They are not outdated figures. Our religion is embodied. These saints are role models and make faith accessible to all of us: the Curé d’Ars for priests, Joan of Arc for young fighters… We are the Eldest Daughter of the Church; we have been blessed by Heaven, by the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Virgin. We are truly under God’s gaze. As Catholics, we have a duty to perpetuate this history of French holiness.
“The Pope has awakened the youth of France. We must not forget to put Christ at the heart of our lives and not be afraid to bear witness to Him. Union with Christ is more important than our differences.”