During the Jubilee for Marian Spirituality, pilgrims from around the world gathered in Rome to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary — Mother, Intercessor, and Queen of Heaven — deepening their devotion and joining Pope Leo XIV in prayer for peace.
A Jubilee Dedicated to Mary
The Jubilee for Marian Spirituality invited Catholics from all continents to reflect on their relationship with Mary. For many, the experience came as a joyful surprise.
“We just heard about that from our tour guide, which excited me because we’ve been to Fatima, and I know about the statue I followed in procession twelve years ago, so it’s very exciting, and we love her,” said Tom Colantuono, one of the pilgrims.
Pilgrims gathered at Santa Maria in Traspontina to pray the Rosary before the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which had journeyed from Portugal for the Global Prayer for Peace convened by Pope Leo XIV.
The Fatima Statue and Its Legacy
This revered statue was created under the guidance of Sister Lucia, one of the three shepherd children who witnessed the apparitions of Mary in Fatima in 1917. Since then, it has visited Rome four times.
Its most famous visit was on March 25, 1984, when Saint John Paul II entrusted the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in St. Peter’s Square, offering the bullet from the 1981 assassination attempt — later set into the statue’s crown — as a sign of gratitude for her protection.
“The Shortest Way to Jesus”
Veronica, a member of Gioventù Ardente Mariana in Rome, shared her deep devotion:
“I’m very close to her. I try to pray the rosary every day. I believe that she is the shortest way to get to Jesus because it’s his mom, so she knows him the best.”
She hopes more people will rediscover Mary’s vital role:
“I hope that people who are not very close to Mary, they maybe think that she is the second character in the story, they can understand that she is actually very important. She is the bond that leads us to Jesus… just being in front of her is very special. You feel very loved with her.”
Pope Leo XIV: “Peace Is Unarmed and Disarming”
After the public veneration, the statue was taken in procession to St. Peter’s Square, where Pope Leo XIV led a rosary vigil for peace before the image of Our Lady of Fatima.
In his address, the Pope reflected on the true nature of peace:
“Peace is unarmed and disarming. It is not deterrence, but fraternity; it is not an ultimatum, but dialogue. Peace will not come as the result of victories over the enemy, but as the fruit of sowing justice and courageous forgiveness.”
The Holy Father then invoked Mary, Queen of Peace, offering her a golden rose as a symbol of love and gratitude.
