Rome: Tens of thousands of pilgrims from across the globe are expected to converge on the Eternal City this weekend as Rome prepares to host two significant Catholic celebrations: the Jubilee of the Missionary World and the Jubilee of Migrants, taking place on October 4–5, 2025.
The events, organized by the Dicastery for Evangelization in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, will bring together participants from over 100 nations.
Pilgrims will arrive from countries spanning Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, including Italy, the United States, Spain, France, Argentina, Brazil, the Philippines, India, Zambia, and Madagascar. Nearly 10,000 migrants from 95 countries will also take part in the Migrants’ Jubilee, reflecting the Church’s deep commitment to supporting displaced communities worldwide.
The Jubilee of the Missionary World will open on Saturday morning, October 4, with a special Jubilee Audience with Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square. In the afternoon, pilgrims will pass through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, a symbolic act central to the Jubilee tradition. Later, at the Pontifical Urban University, missionaries and pastoral workers will gather for the International Missionary Encounter, themed “Missio ad gentes today: Toward new horizons.”
Evening celebrations will include multi-language vigil Masses across various churches near the Vatican, followed by an international missionary Rosary in St. Peter’s Square at 9:00 p.m., uniting pilgrims in prayer.
On Sunday, October 5, Pope Leo XIV will preside over a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 10:30 a.m. The day will conclude with the Festival of Peoples in the Gardens of Castel Sant’Angelo, themed “Migrants and Missionaries of Hope Among the Nations.”
Running alongside the Missionary Jubilee, the Migrant Jubilee will highlight the experiences, struggles, and hopes of migrant communities. Pilgrims will share in the same Jubilee Audience and Holy Door pilgrimage, and will join missionaries for the closing Mass and Festival of Peoples.
This joint celebration emphasizes unity, with migrants and missionaries gathering together in prayer, testimony, and cultural expression.
The Festival of Peoples promises a vibrant showcase of music, dance, and storytelling, featuring communities such as the Latin Indian community of Rome, the Filipino youth group, Korea’s Sorirang ensemble, the International Migrants School of Rome, and the PerùFolk cultural association.
The event, free and open to the public, will run from 3 to 7 p.m., with early entry starting at 2:30 p.m. Presenters of Italian, Afghan, and Indian origin will host the festival, reflecting the Church’s vision of intercultural harmony.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Cardinal Fabio Baggio, and other senior Church leaders are expected to attend, underscoring the Vatican’s emphasis on migrants and missionaries as “messengers of hope.”
The Dicastery for Evangelization described the dual jubilees as a living sign of the Church’s mission: “to walk with peoples, bring hope to the nations, and celebrate a faith that transcends borders.”
These concurrent jubilees in Rome not only reaffirm the Catholic Church’s universal identity but also highlight its commitment to welcoming the stranger, empowering missionaries, and celebrating a faith rooted in unity amid diversity.