20,000 Catechists to Gather in Rome for Jubilee Celebration

Vatican, 26 Sept, 2025: Rome will welcome more than 20,000 catechists from 115 countries from 26 to 28 September for the Jubilee of Catechists 2025. The celebration, dedicated to those who serve daily in catechesis, will conclude on Sunday, 28 September, with Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:00 a.m., presided over by the Holy Father, during which he will confer the ministry on 39 new catechists.

Delegations will arrive from Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Ukraine, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, the Philippines, India, and Australia. The event will also see participation from diocesan and national catechetical offices, as well as Episcopal Conferences from several countries.

The Jubilee will open on Friday morning, 26 September, with a pilgrimage of catechists to the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, will then preside over a Prayer Vigil in the Basilica. During the second part of the Liturgy of the Word, centred on the disciples’ journey to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-33a), three catechists—Liliana Russo from Italy, Paulo Agostinho Matica from Mozambique, and Estela Evangelista Torres from Mexico—will share their testimonies of service in their local contexts.

On Saturday, 27 September, catechists will participate in the Jubilee Audience with Pope Leo XIV at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, where he will address the pilgrims. In the afternoon, at 4:00 p.m., catechists will gather in central Rome for sessions with Bishops, offered in Italian, English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Polish.

The celebration will culminate on Sunday, 28 September, with the Pope conferring the lay ministry of catechist on 39 candidates, who will also receive a crucifix as a sign of their special vocation. The candidates come from Italy, Spain, England, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, India, South Korea, East Timor, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, the United States, Mozambique, Peru, and the Dominican Republic.

Source: Zenit News

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