Pope Leo XIV to lead Jubilee of Consecrated Life in St Peter’s Square

Niwa Limbu • September 23, 2025

Pope Leo XIV will preside over a major Eucharistic celebration in St Peter’s Square on 9 October.

The Office of Liturgical Celebrations has issued instructions for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, a gathering thousands of men and women religious from across the world under the theme “Pilgrims of hope, on the path to peace.”

The Jubilee, which has already drawn more than 1,200 registrations according to the Dicastery for institutes of consecrated life and the societies of apostolic Life, invites all forms of consecrated life of religious sisters and brothers, monks, contemplatives, secular institutes, the Ordo virginum, hermits and newer communities. Entrance to the Papal Mass itself will be free of charge and does not require a ticket, though clergy who wish to concelebrate must register through the Vatican’s official portal.

Cardinals and Patriarchs are to assemble in the Chapel of St Sebastian by 9.45am with their white damask mitres, while bishops and archbishops, having obtained tickets from the liturgical office by 6 October, are expected by 9.30am in the same chapel with amice, alb, cincture and simple white mitre. Priests with tickets will gather in the Braccio di Costantino at the same time, vested with amice, alb, cincture and a green stole.

The pilgrimage programme begins on 8 October with a pilgrimage to the Holy Door, accompanied by opportunities for confession in the Jubilee churches. From 3 to 5pm on the same day, the “Dialogue with the City” will bring cultural, artistic and spiritual encounters to several Roman piazzas. 

These gatherings will focus on themes close to the Pope’s vision of listening to the poor, care for creation, and the call to universal fraternity. A prayer vigil will follow that evening at St Peter’s Basilica, leading into the papal Mass the next morning.

The Jubilee of Consecrated Life recalls a long history of jubilees as moments of renewal for the Church. For centuries, religious orders have been a witness of prayer, mission and service. From the early monastic communities through to the new institutes of today, consecrated life has represented a radical commitment to Christ lived out in silence, contemplation, charity and apostolic zeal.

Pope Leo XIV Pontificate so far has so far emphasised spiritual depth alongside pastoral outreach, and the event is expected to highlight the vital role of consecrated life at the heart of the Church’s mission.

The celebration in St Peter’s Square is expected to draw a large international presence, with delegations from major religious orders as well as smaller institutes and new communities.

(Photo by MARIA GRAZIA PICCIARELLA/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)