ROME, ITALY — On May 12, 2025, the Oblates of St. Joseph celebrated the jubilee of its religious family participated by the provincials and delegate coming from around the world, the members of the General Curia, and some confreres who are living in the Casa Generalizia.
The day kicked off with a pilgrimage to the Holy Door from Piazza Pia, culminating in the Eucharist, symbolizing the passage through Christ, the “Door” of salvation.
In the “Chapel of the Madonna of Partorienti” in the Vatican Grottoes, Father Jan Pelczarski, the Superior General of the Oblates of St. Joseph, led the community in a heartfelt homily filled with gratitude and hope.
Father Jan connected the Gospel of John (Jesus as the “Gate for the sheep”) to the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, where Peter, inspired by the Spirit, crosses Cornelius’ door to share the Gospel with the Gentiles. This revolutionary act for the early Church symbolizes today’s mission to reach out. The mention of the Pentecost for the Gentiles highlighted the universal nature of salvation.
There was a focus on the recent transition of the papacy: mourning the loss of Francis and welcoming the election of Leo XIV, the new “Peter,” tasked with preserving the Church’s unity. This context ties into the Jubilee of the Congregation, celebrated every 50 years as a time for pilgrimage, conversion and indulgences. Father Jan urged everyone to embrace this time not as just rituals but as a chance for inner renewal: “Christ needs to be at the center, beyond selfies and appearances.”
The reflection wrapped up with a call to evangelical joy, contrasting it with pointless complaining: “We are singers of God’s wonders, not whiners.” The Christian hope, focused on the eternal Kingdom, was connected to the examples of figures like St. Joseph Marello and the Servant of God Giuseppe Calvi.
In the final prayer, the community entrusted to the Lord the intentions of the Church, fellow brothers, and laypeople, reaffirming their commitment to serve humbly, supported by the grace that transforms “poor sinners” into instruments of mercy.
After the Mass, 30 among the participants of the Jubilee were given the opportunity to visit the Vatican Necropolis where the remains of St. Peter lie.
This Jubilee of the Congregation was the prelude to the Formation of Provincials and Delegate last May 13–17, 2025 at the Santuario e Casa di Spiritualità del Getsemani in Paestum.