This year, our hearts are touched by a single word that resonates throughout the Church: HOPE. As we journey through this jubilee year, we are called to live as pilgrims of hope, rediscovering a virtue that gives meaning to our faith and courage to our mission.
But what is this hope that the Church celebrates so fervently? It is more than optimism or wishful thinking. Hope is a confident and spiritual expectation of the fulfilment of God's promises, rooted in faith in Christ and his resurrection. It gives us strength in trials, sustains us in suffering, and keeps us anchored in the conviction that love and life will triumph over sin and death. Hope is a state of heart, based not on circumstances but on faith. As St. Paul reminds us, ‘hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts.’
Opening our hearts to hope;
In our community at the Generalate, these words have come to life in our daily lives. We have seen God's promises come true when we have opened our hearts to Him and to one another. This year, our experience of hope found its most beautiful expression when we welcomed the Young Church into our home during the Youth Jubilee (25 July to 9 August). It was a season filled with joy, prayer and renewal, a lively encounter with a new generation of believers, full of life and faith. They came from Spain, Peru, Lesotho and Poland, bringing with them songs, dances, laughter and prayers. They brought light, energy and hope, reminding us that the faith we cherish will continue to flourish long after we are gone.
This experience was a concrete response to the call of the 2021 General Chapter: ‘to move out of our comfort zones and cross over to the other shore’. At the same time, Pope Francis' words - ‘Get up from your sofa!’ - challenged us. And that is what we did. We put aside our holidays and opened our doors to welcome Pilgrims of Hope. On some days, we hosted up to thirty people under our roof. We offered them our time, our listening ear and our love. We shared their joys, their reflections and even their tiredness after long days of celebration and prayer. In their company, we rediscovered that true hope does not come from ease, but from encounter.
We were particularly touched by the perseverance of the older participants who, despite illness or frailty, joyfully walked the crowded streets of Rome, even with crutches. Their courage was a living testimony that anything is possible with God. Opening our home was not simply an act of hospitality; it was a pilgrimage of the heart. We could easily have chosen comfort, but saying yes transformed us. Our home became a place of prayer, laughter and sharing of faith. We didn't just talk about hope, we lived it.
The Jubilee of Consecrated Life;
Our journey of hope continued during the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, held from 8 to 12 October 2025. We welcomed Sisters from Poland, France and Madagascar to the Generalate. More than 16,000 consecrated persons from nearly 100 countries gathered in Rome, forming a living mosaic of faith and devotion. Among them were religious brothers and sisters, monks and contemplatives, members of secular institutes, members of the Order of Virgins, hermits and representatives of new forms of consecrated life. We all participated as far as we could in this magnificent, profound and historic event.
This Jubilee, organised by the Dicastery for Evangelisation and the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life, opened with a pilgrimage through the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica, a powerful symbol of grace and renewal. The day was filled with prayers, hymns and reconciliation, setting the tone for a week of reflection and encounter.
The opening prayer vigil, presided over by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime SDB, focused on hope in suffering, patience in daily life and mission as a way of life. In his homily, he entrusted consecrated life to Mary, the living image of faith, hope and peace.
The following day, Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Eucharist in St. Peter's Square, inviting all consecrated persons to live the Beatitudes and the Gospel call to ask, seek and knock - to ask with humility, seek holiness and knock in loving service.
Throughout the week, the city of Rome itself became a living witness of hope. Communities gathered to pray, dialogue and meet around the themes of fraternity, listening and care for creation. Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad presided at the Eucharist in the Paul VI Hall, where Sister Simona Brambilla MC offered a beautiful image: consecrated life as the yobel, a horn whose multiple sounds create a symphony of hope. Artistic performances and testimonies celebrated the joy of mission and unity. Father Giacomo Costa SJ invited everyone to move ‘from I to we,’ emphasising the importance of communion over individualism. Later, Pope Leo XIV reminded us that synodality - walking together and sharing one's vocation - is the living expression of the Church's hope.
The last day was dedicated to peace. Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime called on everyone to be ‘prophets of hope and bearers of living water.’ Sister Teresa Maya CCVI encouraged the creation of compassionate and non-violent communities in service to the marginalised. Workshops on mediation and dialogue offered concrete ways to live peace in daily life.
To conclude the jubilee, participants gathered at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, where some 4,000 of them renewed their vows, committing themselves to walk as ‘pilgrims of hope on the path of peace’. Sister Brambilla concluded with these moving words: "Let us set out, pilgrims of hope, on the path of peace, taking with us the experience we have had and sharing it with all those we meet. "
Hope that transforms;
This jubilee revealed that consecrated life - rooted in hope and committed to peace - has the power to renew communities and inspire the world. Hope is not passive waiting, but active trust. It pushes us to step outside our comfort zone to meet others, to go beyond our limits to reach out to others. It is the courage to cross over to the other side - where God awaits us with new possibilities. As pilgrims of hope, we continue to walk together, with open hearts and hands ready to serve. May the Triune God guide us on the paths of hope and peace, so that the grace we have received may renew the Church and the world.
Sr. Barbara SYGITOWICZ
Generalate local community, Rome