In Rome, the Filipino Catholic community is ready for the Jubilee. In their Pontifical College, there are 50 priests from the Philippines. They are aware of the large number of pilgrims who will arrive for the Holy Year, and so they have been preparing.
P. GREGORY GASTON
Rector, Pontifical College Filipino in Rome
We are, of course, very much in union with the Holy Father in this great Jubilee, and also with the whole church from the Philippines. We know that many people will be coming and also Filipinos from all over the world, the diaspora, we can say, from the US, Canada, from here in Europe, and also other places from Asia and the Middle East. So we are trying to prepare ourselves spiritually and also to welcome them.
They have done so throughout Advent and in the run-up to Christmas. The Filipino community has organized several Masses throughout the city every Sunday. In addition to this, there are prayers and catechism classes.
Despite the more than 10,000 kilometers that separate Italy from the Philippines, the communities there are closely following what will happen in Rome in 2025.
P. GREGORY GASTON
Rector, Pontifical College Filipino in Rome
People ask me to send them little mementos, so to speak, about the Jubilee in different languages. Just today I gave someone from the Philippines a Jubilee bookmark in Chinese. But of course we are also trying to see how we can entertain them or how we can accommodate them when they come.
For Filipinos, this Jubilee is important, specifically because of their closeness to Pope Francis. The Pope visited the Philippines in 2015, which was a moment that marked a historic record: almost 7 million people attended his Mass there.
CA
TR: GS
