Jubilee: Volunteers make final pilgrimage through Holy Door
By Edoardo Giribaldi
Reflections of St. Peter’s Basilica appeared on Monday evening in the puddles along Via della Conciliazione, the road leading from the Tiber River to the Basilica, which has borne witness to the year-long Jubilee and its final days of rain.
The volunteers—identifiable by their green jackets—carried with them the experiences, concerns, and expectations of the pilgrims who crossed the Holy Door of the Vatican Basilica during the Holy Year.
More than 33 million people took part, supported by the steady work of 5,000 volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds.
On the evening of January 5, they were invited to take part in the final pilgrimage, together with members of the Dicastery for Evangelization, including the Pro-Prefect, Archbishop Rino Fisichella.
Providing cover for oneself and others
Light rain accompanied the pilgrimage, led by the Archbishop, who carried the Jubilee’s wooden cross at the front of the procession.
There was a sense of solidarity among the volunteers, alongside a feeling of conclusion typical of an experience coming to an end, and a shared awareness of having carried out a service “in a climate of safety and fraternity,” as Archbishop Fisichella stated at the Holy Year’s closing press conference earlier that day.
Contemplative silence
Along the route, prayers were said and the Holy Year’s hymn was sung, while participants also exchanged memories and practical experiences from the year.
Upon reaching the Holy Door, the group fell silent, focusing on the doors that Pope Leo XIV was due to close the following day, ahead of their reopening in 2033 for the Jubilee of the Redemption.
Throughout the year, the volunteers had overseen the flow of pilgrims through the doors. On this occasion, they approached them directly, touching the panels, making the sign of the cross and offering personal prayers.
“It was a beautiful adventure”
The procession continued along the nave of the Basilica and concluded at its centre. There, Archbishop Fisichella led the prayers required for the indulgence, according to the Pope’s intentions, as well as the Creed.
Addressing the volunteers, he said that while the experience had been “a beautiful adventure,” hope “does not disappoint simply because a journey has come to an end,” encouraging them to remain “living stones” of the Church.
The volunteers’ pilgrimage then concluded, marking the end of their service and their participation in the Holy Year.
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