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27
May
2016

Jubilee for deacons

27 May 2016 - 29 May 2016 (Save to calendar)

St. Peter's Square

Friday, May 27

16:00Friday, May 2716:00
Meeting of Deacons and their families
The Deacon: Image of Mercy for the Promotion of the New Evangelization:
In the Family
In Pastoral Work
In the Workplace

 

Saturday, May 28
From 9:00 to 14:00
Pilgrimage to the Holy Door – according to language groups
10:00 English
11:00 Spanish
11:30 Other language groups
12:00 Italian

From 9:00 to 14:00
In the Jubilee churches: S. Salvatore in Lauro, S. Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova), S. Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini
Eucharistic Adoration
Sacrament of Reconciliation

The opportunity to visit the Churches dedicated to Saint Lawrence

16:00
Catechesis
The Deacon: Called to be the Dispenser of Charity in the Christian Community

 

Sunday, May 29 10:30
Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Square with Pope Francis
 

Meeting of Deacons and their families

The Deacon: Image of Mercy for the Promotion of the New Evangelization:

In the Family

In Pastoral Work

In the Workplace

 

Saturday, May 28

From 9:00 to 14:00

Pilgrimage to the Holy Door – according to language groups

9:00     Italian

10:30   English

11:30   Spanish

12:00   All of language groups

From 9:00 to 14:00

In the Jubilee churches: S. Salvatore in Lauro, S. Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova), S. Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini

Eucharistic Adoration

Sacrament of Reconciliation

The opportunity to visit the Churches dedicated to Saint Lawrence

16:00

Catechesis

The Deacon: Called to be the Dispenser of Charity in the Christian Community

 

Sunday, May 29

10:30

Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Square with Pope Francis

 

Celebration of the Jubilee for Deacons in Rome

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Deacons and their families from all around the world are invited to make a pilgrimage to Rome in order to participate in a major gathering on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This Jubilee for Deacons is a celebration for deacons—along with their wives and children—which will be held in the Eternal City from Friday, May 27 to Sunday, May 29, 2016.

 

The motto of the Holy Year, Merciful Like the Father, which is taken from the Gospel of Luke, serves as an invitation to follow the merciful example of the Father who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure. Such a global convocation of deacons, men who by their vocation and ministry are closely associated with works of charity in the in the life of the Christian community, will serve to give witness to all that “mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life” (Pope Francis, Misericordiae vultus 10).

 

The program of events will provide opportunities for participants to discuss the important role of the deacon as the image of mercy for the promotion of the new evangelization. It will offer occasions though listening, discussion, and prayer to understand more deeply the role of the deacon as dispenser of charity. There will be time to make individual pilgrimages to the churches in Rome dedicated to San Lorenzo and to join along with particular language groups in a pilgrimage through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s. In the three Jubilee Churches, all located in the vicinity of St. Peter’s, there will be time set aside for Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. The three days will conclude on Sunday morning with Holy Mass celebrate by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square for the deacons and their families.

 

For the moment, we are organizing individual language tracks in Italian, English, Spanish and French. We would kindly ask, if possible, that all adults who register offer a 10 euro contribution to help offset the costs of the program. Registration will close on March 31, 2016. We look forward to your participation in this great Jubilee event!

 

 

 

Important Information for Participation in the Jubilee for Deacons

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Dear Participants,

 

            We are truly delighted that you will be participating in the upcoming Jubilee for Deacons to be held in Rome on May 27-29, 2016. The following contains important practical details regarding your participation:

1.      Upon arrival in Rome, each Group Leader or anyone who has registered individually must confirm in person their participation in the Jubilee for Deacons by visiting the Pilgrimage Information Center which is located on Via della Conciliazione 7. This may be done from Wednesday, May 25 through Saturday, May 28, between the hours of 7:30-18:30, by presenting the voucher that will be emailed to you in the coming days.

2.      At the Pilgrimage Information Center, each deacon who has registered individually is to present an official document/letter attesting to his diaconal state. For groups, it is enough for the group leader to present his document and, in the case that the Group Leader is not a deacon, it is sufficient that he/she is present with one of the deacons from the group in possession of a letter of attestation. The Group Leader will receive, for each member of his/her group (spouses, family and traveling members), as will each person who registered individually: A) the official PASS to participate in each programed event and on which will be indicated the name of the church to which the person has been assigned according to language groupings (N.B. for security reasons, this PASS must be worn during all of the organized events); B) the ticket for the Holy Mass on Sunday, May 29 which will be celebrated by Pope Francis; C) the booklet which contains the official program, the list of all churches in which presentations will be given, and the churches in Rome dedicated to Saint Lawrence. When receiving these materials, one will be able to pay the 10 euro solidarity contribution for each participant over sixteen years of age.

3.      Those who have registered to participate only in the Holy Mass on Sunday, May 29, need not pay the solidarity contribution. Free tickets for the Mass may be picked up at the Pilgrimage Information Center, also on Sunday morning, after 7:30.

4.      The first gathering will take place on Friday, May 27 at 16:00. Participants will be divided into various churches according to language groups to reflect on the theme The Deacon: Image of Mercy for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. The names of the churches will be indicated on the PASSES. The churches are:

-          Italian Groups:

a.       Chiesa di S. Maria in Vallicella [Chiesa Nuova] (Piazza della Chiesa Nuova)

b.      Basilica di Sant’Andrea della Valle (Piazza Vidoni, 6)

-          English Groups:

a.       Basilica di S. Maria sopra Minerva (Piazza della Minerva, 42)

b.      Basilica di S. Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini (Piazza dell'Oro 1)

-          Spanish Groups:

a.       Basilica di S. Marco Evangelista al Campidoglio (Piazza di San Marco, 48)

           

            N.B. For all German and Portuguese speaking participants, simultaneous translations will be provided for both the Conference on Friday, May 27 at 16:00, as well as for the Catechesis on Saturday, May 28 at 16:00 at the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

5.      On the morning of Saturday, May 28, from 9:00-14:00, all participants will be able to make a pilgrimage through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s according to the diverse language groups as noted on the program which be included in the event booklet. During this time, participants may also wish to visit one of the three Jubilee Churches where the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available and where there will be Eucharistic Adoration. There will also be a number of Missionaries of Mercy available to hear Confessions. These churches are:

-          S. Salvatore in Lauro (Piazza di San Salvatore in Lauro, 15)

-          S. Maria in Vallicella [Chiesa Nuova] (Piazza della Chiesa Nuova)

-          S. Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini (Piazza dell'Oro 1)

 

Also during this period, all participants are invited to make individual pilgrimages to the churches in Rome dedicated to Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo), which are noted in the event booklet.

6.      On the afternoon of Saturday, May 28 at 16:00 deacons and those accompanying them are to gather for a catechesis in the same church in which they had been present on the previous day, as noted on the PASS.

            At 16:30, the French group will have Holy Mass at the Church of the Gesù (Piazza      del Gesù), followed by a catechesis in French.

7.      Holy Mass will celebrated by Pope Francis on Sunday, May 29, at 10:30 in St. Peter’s Square. Each deacon must bring his own alb, while a special Jubilee stole will be gifted to him. Each deacon, with the special ticket for the Mass in hand, is asked to enter at 7:45 a.m.—through the Holy Office entrance to the Vatican (when facing the Basilica, the Holy Office entrance is located behind the left side of Bernini’s colonnade and is marked by the presence of Swiss Guards in uniform). From there, all deacons will be directed to the Paul VI Hall (the Audience Hall of the Pope) where they will vest for Mass. N.B. As all deacons must enter through normal security checks, it is absolutely imperative to arrive by 7:45 in order to facilitate the entrance together into the Vatican. All deacons, vested for liturgy, will then enter in procession into the Piazza to take their assigned seats. Regarding wives and family/travelling members, they are to enter through any of the various entrances to the Piazza beginning at the time noted on their special tickets (7:30), where they will pass through the security checks and then be directed to their reserved section.

8.      All other questions pertaining to the details of the Jubilee for Deacons can be answered for you at the Pilgrimage Information Center.

 

 

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 29 May 2016

 

“A servant of Jesus Christ” (Gal 1:10). We have listened to these words that the Apostle Paul, writing to the Galatians, uses to describe himself. At the beginning of his Letter, he had presented himself as “an apostle” by the will of the Lord Jesus (cf. Gal1:1). These two terms – apostle and servant – go together. They can never be separated. They are like the two sides of a medal. Those who proclaim Jesus are called to serve, and those who serve proclaim Jesus.

The Lord was the first to show us this. He, the Word of the Father, who brought us the good news (Is 61:1), indeed, who is the good news (cf. Lk 4:18), became our servant (Phil 2:7). He came “not to be served, but to serve” (Mk 10:45). “He became the servant (diakonos) of all”, wrote one of the Church Fathers (Saint Polycarp, Ad Phil. V, 2). We who proclaim him are called to act as he did, “merciful, zealous, walking according to the charity of the Lord who made himself the servant of all” (ibid.). A disciple of Jesus cannot take a road other than that of the Master. If he wants to proclaim him, he must imitate him. Like Paul, he must strive to become a servant. In other words, if evangelizing is the mission entrusted at baptism to each Christian, serving is the way that mission is carried out. It is the only way to be a disciple of Jesus. His witnesses are those who do as he did: those who serve their brothers and sisters, never tiring of following Christ in his humility, never wearing of the Christian life, which is a life of service.

How do we become “good and faithful servants” (cf. Mt 25:21)? As a first step, we are asked to be available. A servant daily learns detachment from doing everything his own way and living his life as he would. Each morning he trains himself to be generous with his life and to realize that the rest of the day will not be his own, but given over to others. One who serves cannot hoard his free time; he has to give up the idea of being the master of his day. He knows that his time is not his own, but a gift from God which is then offered back to him. Only in this way will it bear fruit. One who serves is not a slave to his own agenda, but ever ready to deal with the unexpected, ever available to his brothers and sisters and ever open to God’s constant surprises. One who serves is open to surprises, to God’s constant surprises. A servant knows how to open the doors of his time and inner space for those around him, including those who knock on those doors at odd hours, even if that entails setting aside something he likes to do or giving up some well-deserved rest. One who serves is not worried about the timetable. It deeply troubles me when I see a timetable in a parish: “From such a time to such a time”. And then? There is no open door, no priest, no deacon, no layperson to receive people… This is not good. Don’t worry about the timetable: have the courage to look past the timetable. In this way, dear deacons, if you show that you are available to others, your ministry will not be self-serving, but evangelically fruitful.

Today’s Gospel also speaks to us of service. It shows us two servants who have much to teach us: the servant of the centurion whom Jesus cures and the centurion himself, who serves the Emperor. The words used by the centurion to dissuade Jesus from coming to his house are remarkable, and often the very opposite of our own: “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof” (7:6); I did not presume to come to you” (7:7); “I also am a man set under authority” (7:8). Jesus marvels at these words. He is struck by the centurion’s great humility, by his meekness. And meekness is one of the virtues of deacons. When a deacon is meek, then he is one who serves, who is not trying to “mimic” priests; no, he is meek. Given his troubles, the centurion might have been anxious and could have demanded to be heard, making his authority felt. He could have insisted and even forced Jesus to come to his house. Instead, he was modest, unassuming and meek; he did not raise his voice or make a fuss. He acted, perhaps without even being aware of it, like God himself, who is “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29). For God, who is love, out of love is ever ready to serve us. He is patient, kind and always there for us; he suffers for our mistakes and seeks the way to help us improve. These are the characteristics of Christian service; meek and humble, it imitates God by serving others: by welcoming them with patient love and unflagging sympathy, by making them feel welcome and at home in the ecclesial community, where the greatest are not those who command but those who serve (cf. Lk 22:26). And never shout, never. This, dear deacons, is how your vocation as ministers of charity will mature: in meekness.

After the Apostle Paul and the centurion, today’s readings show us a third servant, the one whom Jesus heals. The Gospel tells us that he was dear to his master and was sick, without naming his grave illness (v. 2). In a certain sense, we can see ourselves in that servant. Each of us is very dear to God, who loves us, chooses us and calls us to serve. Yet each of us needs first to be healed inwardly. To be ready to serve, we need a healthy heart: a heart healed by God, one which knows forgiveness and is neither closed nor hardened. We would do well each day to pray trustingly for this, asking to be healed by Jesus, to grow more like him who “no longer calls us servants but friends” (cf. Jn 15:15). Dear deacons, this is a grace you can implore daily in prayer. You can offer the Lord your work, your little inconveniences, your weariness and your hopes in an authentic prayer that brings your life to the Lord and the Lord to your life. When you serve at the table of the Eucharist, there you will find the presence of Jesus, who gives himself to you so that you can give yourselves to others.

In this way, available in life, meek of heart and in constant dialogue with Jesus, you will not be afraid to be servants of Christ, and to encounter and caress the flesh of the Lord in the poor of our time.

Photogallery


St. Peter's Square

Piazza San Pietro, Città del Vaticano, Vatican City State