Dicastery for Evangelization

Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World

09/03/2026

ON 13 AND 14 MARCH 2026, THE THIRTEENTH EDITION OF “24 HOURS FOR THE LORD”

(Vatican City, 09/03/2026) – The initiative “24 Hours for the Lord”, a Lenten proposal for prayer and reconciliation, has reached its thirteenth edition. It is celebrated every year in dioceses around the world on the eve of the fourth Sunday of Lent. The motto chosen by Pope Leo XIV for this edition, which will be held from Friday 13 to Saturday 14 March, is taken from a verse in the Gospel of John: “I have come to save the world” (cf. Jn 12:47). In preparation for Easter Sunday, on Friday evening and throughout Saturday, church communities are encouraged to keep their churches open so that the faithful may have the opportunity to stop in at any time for adoration and confession.

The open doors of the churches are a symbol of God's merciful love. In preparation for “24 Hours for the Lord”, the Dicastery for Evangelization has published a pastoral resource containing guides for personal prayer and suggestions for community celebration. The proposal to dioceses and parishes in Italy and around the world to celebrate this moment of prayer in their own communities is renewed. The resource can be downloaded free of charge in Italian, English and Spanish from the official website of the Dicastery for Evangelization at the following link:

https://www.evangelizatio.va/content/pcpne/it/attivita/24ore/24-ore-per-il-signore-2026.html