Invitation to the Presentation of the Grand International Procession of the Lord of Miracles
Rome, Jubilee 2025
On Tuesday 14 October, at 16.00, in the Marconi Hall of the Dicastery for Communication (Piazza Pia 3), the Grand International Procession of the Lord of Miracles, which will enter Saint Peter’s Square to receive the blessing from Pope Leo XIV on Sunday 19 October 2025, will be presented.
The event, with the participation of the chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Peru to the Holy See, Minister Manuel Carrasco E., and the Gentleman of the Confraternity of the Lord of Miracles in Rome, Wilmer Oblitas, will be moderated by Dr. Alessandro Gisotti, deputy editorial director of Vatican Media. A video message from the Peruvian Cardinal Pedro Barreto will also be screened, and testimonies from the members of the Confraternity of the Lord of Miracles will be shared.
The beloved Peruvian devotion, from Rome to the world, on 18 and 19 October
In response to Pope Francis’ appeal to commemorate the Jubilee of Hope together this year, the representatives of the Confraternity of the Lord of Miracles of the Peruvian communities resident in around forty cities in South America, the United States and Europe will come to Rome to share one of the most deep-rooted expressions of faith and popular devotion in Peru: the Procession of the Lord of Miracles.
Organized by the Confraternity of the Lord of Miracles in Rome, with the support of the Embassy of Peru to the Holy See, the grand international procession of the Lord of Miracles in Rome will take place on 18 and 19 October 2025, and will enter Vatican City in the early hours of Sunday 19 October. In Saint Peter’s Square, the image of the Lord of Miracles will be blessed by Pope Leo XIV, and Holy Mass will be officiated by a Peruvian cardinal in Saint Peter’s Basilica.
According to the organizers, more than 700 devotees are expected to participate as bearers, thurifers and singers, joined by hundreds of faithful and members of the public, to walk together in procession for over three kilometres during the two days of the event. At noon on Sunday, more than four thousand devotees are expected to participate.
A symbol of faith and Peruvian culture that transcends borders
The Señor de los Milagros is the most important Catholic devotion in Peru, and one of the most popular religious events in the world. Its origins date back to the seventeenth century, when an Angolan slave painted an image of the crucified Christ on a brick wall in Lima, which miraculously withstood the earthquakes that devastated the city in 1655 and 1687. Since then, every October, thousands of faithful in Peru accompany the image in procession, wearing traditional purple robes, in a testimony of faith and popular unity.
Nowadays this tradition has spread throughout the five continents, accompanying Peruvian communities abroad. In cities all over the world, the procession brings together thousands of devotees, becoming a symbol of identity, hope and fraternity for Peruvians abroad, and a cultural bridge with their host countries.
The traditional procession of the Lord of Miracles and the Holy Mass in Rome take on a special meaning this year, within the context of the Jubilee Year of Hope and coinciding with the early months of the pontificate of a Holy Father of Peruvian nationality, who repeatedly shows his profound affection for Peru, which fills the Peruvian people with joy.
The Grand International Procession of the Lord of Miracles in Rome, Jubilee 2025, reflecting its global dimension, will involve the participation of devotees from the following Confraternities of the Lord of Miracles:
· Confraternities of Italy: Bologna, Genoa, Guidonia, Imperia, Loano, Milan, Modena, Naples, Pavia, Perugia, Rimini, Savona, Verona, and the “Virgen de la Puerta”, Turin;
· Other confraternities of Europe: Germany (Hamburg), Austria (Vienna), Belgium (Brussels), Spain (Asturie, Barcelona, Burgos, La Coruña, Madrid, Santander, Valencia and Vitoria), France (Paris), Sweden (Stockholm) and Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich and Lausanne);
· Confraternities of the United States: Atlanta, North Carolina, Florida, Paterson, Virginia;
· Confraternities of South America: Chile (Independencia) and Peru (Barranco, Huancayo and Las Nazarenas).
Programme in Rome
· Friday 17 October: Vigil Holy Mass at 16.30, in the Church of the Holy Redeemer, Via Monte Ruggero 63, 00139 Rome.
· Saturday 18 October: Holy Mass at 10.00 in the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs, followed by a procession towards the Vatican.
· Sunday 19 October: entry of the Cristo Morado in Saint Peter’s Square at 7.00, i twill remain during the canonization ceremony to take place the same day. At noon, after the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV will bless the image and the devotees.
At 14.00 Mass will be celebrated in honour of the Lord of Miracles in Saint Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Pedro Barreto, with the musical participation of the School of Musical Art, Paris.
The day will conclude with the closing procession and return to Largo dei Mutilati ed Invalidi di Guerra.
A memorable expression of faith
The presence of representatives of the Confraternities of the Lord of Miracles from the Peruvian communities resident in various countries from around the world in Saint Peter’s Square during the Jubilee 2025 constitutes an unprecedented historica and spiritual event, which not only strengthens the cultural and religious identity of Peruvians in the world, but also contributes to presenting Peru as a country of profound faith and tradition.
The Grand Procession of the Lord of Miracles in Rome is part of the cultural and religious programme that Peru is developing in the context of the Jubilee Year, in response to the invitation addressed by Pope Francis to embassies accredited to the Holy See to participate actively in this celebration of the Catholic Church. In the same way, it reflects the universality of the Church and the capacity of popular devotion to unite peoples and cultures around the shared values of hope, solidarity and faith.
Given the scale and importance of the procession, this latter also has the support of the Consulate General of Peru in Rome and the Embassy of Peru to the Italian Republic within the scope of their respective functions.
The presentation of the Grand International Procession of the Lord of Miracles will be livestreamed on the Vatican News YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/live/s1k87ghztrE
ACCREDITATION PROCEDURE
Journalists and media operators who wish to attend must apply, no later than 24 hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti.
Press contact and participants:
Email: hsmroma2019@gmail.com
Tel: +39 351 369 0780 – +39 393 718 9169
Wilmer Oblitas Zavaleta
President of the Confraternity of the Lord of Miracles in Rome
