More than 60,000 pilgrims expected for Jubilee of Families, Children, and the Elderly
null / Credit: Evgeny Atamanenko|Shutterstock Vatican City, May 29, 2025 / 17:29 pm (CNA).
More than 60,000 pilgrims from 120 countries will be in Rome this weekend to participate in the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly taking place from Friday, May 30, to Sunday, June 1.
The event, which is part of the celebrations for the Jubilee 2025, will bring together three generations — parents, children, and grandparents — in one of the major events of the holy year. It will include pilgrimages and moments of prayer in a fun atmosphere under the theme of family unity.
According to the organizers, the largest delegations will come from Italy, Spain, the United States, Poland, and Portugal. Numerous participants are also expected from Latin America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Philippines, and several African countries.
The presence of ecclesial movements will also loom large, and among them will be the Catholic Grandparents Association, an international organization founded in Ireland by Catherine Wiley in 2001 dedicated to supporting, promoting, and encouraging the spiritual and pastoral role of grandparents within the Catholic Church.
Also participating will be the Neocatechumenal Way, founded in Madrid in 1964 by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández.
3 days of faith and celebration in the streets of Rome
The program will get underway on Friday, May 30, with many families making the pilgrimage to the Holy Doors of four major basilicas in Rome: St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls.
One of the highlights of this jubilee event will take place on Saturday afternoon with a “Family Festival” in St. John Lateran Square from 6:30 to 8 p.m. local time, which will combine a musical concert with moments of prayer.
The event will be hosted by renowned Italian journalist Lorena Bianchetti. Since 1999 Bianchetti has hosted, on Italian public television, a program produced in collaboration with the Italian Bishops’ Conference that addresses current affairs from a Christian perspective. The event will also feature performances by Christian music groups The Sun and Gen Verde, and will conclude with the rosary.
Mass with Pope Leo XIV
The Jubilee for Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly will conclude on Sunday, June 1, with a Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square at 10:30 a.m. local time.
During the ceremony, 10,000 copies of the new edition of the “Children’s Bible” will be distributed. This version, adapted and designed to introduce children to the holy Scriptures in an accessible and engaging way, will be offered by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need.
Since launching this edition of the “Children’s Bible” in 1979, the organization has distributed more than 51 million copies worldwide, and it has been translated into more than 190 languages and local dialects.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
