Jubilee of the Sick Gathers 20,000 in Rome

The Jubilee of the Sick, the seventh event in the Holy Year calendar, is set to take place in Rome and Vatican City from April 5 to 5–6.

The event will welcome over 20,000 participants—including patients, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, healthcare personnel, and technicians—from more than 90 countries.

The two-day event will begin on April 5, with a pilgrimage to the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. In the afternoon, associations and movements in the healthcare field will organize “Dialogues with the City”—a series of cultural, spiritual, and artistic activities—across various Roman piazzas.

A highlight of the afternoon will be a public meeting in Piazza di Spagna titled “The Value of Giving and Solidarity,” featuring Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the Italian Minister of Health, the Mayor of Rome, and other civic leaders.

Later, a conference titled “Hospice = Hope” will focus on palliative care, hosted by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and organized by Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.

The American Heart Association will also lead multilingual CPR training sessions, while Fratres, in collaboration with the National Office for Health and Pastoral Care of the Central European Initiative, will conduct a campaign to raise awareness about blood donation in Piazza San Giovanni.

At the Church of Santa Monica, a conference will spotlight the life and legacy of Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro, a medical student who died from a rare illness.

Her sister, Emanuela, and her biographer and postulator, Fr. Andrea Vena, will be among the speakers.

Prayer and catechesis will also mark the Jubilee, with Eucharistic Adoration and reflection led by religious congregations dedicated to the healthcare ministry.

A special moment of prayer, "Following in the Footsteps of Blessed Luigi Novarese: Finding Blessing When Life is Marked by Fragility,” will be held at the Church of St. Mary of the Suffrage.

The Jubilee will conclude on Sunday with a Mass in St. Peter’s Square, presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who will deliver the homily prepared by Pope Francis.