Welcome to the Jubilee of Mercy for Missionaries!
Welcome to the sixth great jubilee event, the Jubilee of Mercy for Missionaries, starting tomorrow, Friday, March 28th. The celebrations will last until Sunday, March 30th, and will involve over 500 priests from around the world. There are many exciting events planned, starting on Friday, which will include changes to traffic flow and parking restrictions.
The Missionary Jubilee
Missionaries will be arriving from Italy, the United States, Poland, Brazil, Spain, France, Mexico, Germany, Slovakia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Colombia, and India. The missionaries of mercy were established by the Pope during the extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015. According to Vatican News, their numbers are constantly increasing, with 1258 priests worldwide. Although Pope Francis will not be able to attend due to his recent hospitalization, he will send a written message to the participants.
The Program
The Jubilee of Mercy for Missionaries will begin at 10:00 am on Friday, March 28th, with a prayer in the Paul VI Hall to kick off the fourth World Meeting of Missionaries. The first session will focus on “Forgiveness as a Source of Hope” and will include two training sessions. The theological session will start at 10:30 am, led by Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization. The second session, starting at noon, will provide pastoral guidelines for participants.
At 4:00 pm, the event will move to the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II for the 12th edition of “24 Hours for the Lord,” reserved for missionaries.
On Saturday, March 29th, missionaries will have the opportunity to pilgrimage to the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica between 9:00 am and 11:00 am. They will then gather for the Rosary prayer at the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens. The Jubilee event will conclude on Sunday, March 30th, with a Mass celebrated by Monsignor Fisichella at 10:00 am in the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle.
On Sunday afternoon, the fifth of the Holy Year Concerts for the “Jubilee Culture” Showcase will take place. The free symphonic concert “Missa Papae Francisci” in memory of Ennio Morricone will be performed by the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra, along with the New Lyric Symphonic Choir of Rome and the “Claudio Casini” Choir from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Directed by Maestro Gabriele Bonolis, the performance will be held at 4:00 pm at the Church of Santi Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso.
Traffic Changes
To accommodate the celebrations, there will be traffic modifications, especially for the events on Friday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 10:00 am. Parking restrictions will be enforced in Piazza Vidoni, Corso Vittorio Emanuele (between Piazza Vidoni and Largo dei Chiavari), and Largo dei Chiavari (right side only). Roma Mobility Services advises that traffic delays are possible during the arrival and departure of participants.
