Opening Evening of the Jubilee of Consecrated Life
On the first evening of the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, participants from across the world gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica for a deeply moving Prayer Vigil, presided over by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Together, we prayed for peace and for a world reborn in hope, echoing the words of Pope Francis: “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5)
One of the most powerful moments of the Vigil was the testimony of Sr. Mary Stephanos, a Sister of Charity of St. Jeanne Antide Thouret, who serves in regions scarred by war and suffering: “In the midst of fear, ruins, and loss, something remained standing — a hope stronger than the noise of bombs. I have learned that hope is not an idea but a presence. It appears in unexpected visits, in courage, in people who rise again after the destruction to begin anew. Even when everything seems lost, God visits His people”.
He passes through us, through our gestures of love, every word of peace, every look that says: ‘You are not alone.’
Her witness shone as a living echo of the Gospel of the Visitation, a reminder that God still walks with His people through every darkness — bringing light, courage, and the quiet power of hope.
See pictures: