The religious who participate in the pilgrimage on Saturday, 3 February, are currently engaged in a large gathering organised by the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (DIVCSVA).
The work began on the afternoon of Thursday, 1 February, with a first session on the theme "Believing in hope" and a multi-voice discussion on the theme of dialogue, which was attended by various personalities from DIVCSVA.
Today, 2 February, on the occasion of the 27th World Day of Consecrated Life, the religious celebrate their feast directly in St Peter's, meeting the Pontiff, Pope Francis, and concelebrating the Eucharist with him. The Mass with the Holy Father is the culmination of the day, which in the morning also includes a discussion through three workshops on the toils and joys of the vocation to consecrated life.
The pilgrimage on Saturday the 3rd will touch on Marian themes, the memory of the apostles Peter and Paul and the martyrs, and will include various moments for each stage: a visit to the historical-artistic site; the spiritual meaning for Consecrated Life; the testimony of an experience of a consecrated person in the world; a moment of personal or community prayer. The communal Eucharist in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart itself will seal the day.
On the last half day of activity, Sunday the 4th, the experience will end with the festive Mass, a time to go back over and summarise what was experienced, and the final intervention by the Secretary of the DIVCSVA, Sister Simona Brambilla, and the delivery of the mandate to all those present.
In this way, consecrated persons will be able to begin to project themselves towards the next steps of this path: a journey in stages, to be carried out in listening to the cry of the poor, in the care and custody of Creation, and in a spirit of solidarity with all brothers and sisters, which began with a preparatory phase in 2023 and will only end at the end of 2025, with the Jubilee of Consecrated Life.
