The Seminary community from Malta has returned from a profoundly spiritual and enriching experience in Rome, where they took part in the Jubilee of Hope for Seminarians, Priests, and Bishops, celebrated between Monday 23rd and Friday 27th June as part of the Church’s wider Jubilee Year.
The pilgrimage began on Monday, as the seminarians departed Malta to join thousands of others from around the world. That evening, they participated in the official opening ceremony at the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura, which included a moment of prayer and a moving concert by the Choir of the Diocese of Rome, under the direction of Monsignor Marco Frisina.
On Tuesday morning, the seminarians joined an international community of their peers in a pilgrimage along Via della Conciliazione, leading to St Peter’s Basilica. There, they attended a catechesis delivered by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, who encouraged them to be joyful witnesses of hope and faithful stewards of Christ’s mission. In the evening, they celebrated Holy Mass with other English-speaking seminarians at the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina, strengthening bonds of fraternity and shared vocation. On Thursday evening, the seminarians returned to St Peter’s Basilica for a reflective vocational vigil.
The culmination of the Jubilee came on Friday morning with a Solemn Mass presided over by Pope Leo XIV at St Peter’s Basilica. During this liturgy, the Holy Father ordained 32 new priests from around the world, offering a powerful testimony to the ongoing vitality of vocations in the Church.
Beyond the official Jubilee events, the Maltese seminarians were blessed with several other spiritually and intellectually enriching experiences. They visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where they prayed at the tomb of Pope Francis, giving thanks for his leadership and legacy. The community also enjoyed a moment of fellowship with Gozitan priests currently serving in Rome, and visited the General Secretariat of the Synod, where they were welcomed by Cardinal Mario Grech for a moment of sharing and reflection on the life of the Church.
The seminarians also made pilgrimages to the rooms of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, and the rooms of St Philip Neri, the joyful Apostle of Rome. These visits provided personal and inspiring encounters with the lives of two great saints who model holiness, mission, and pastoral charity.
In addition, the seminarians visited the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas – Angelicum, one of the Church’s leading centres of theological and philosophical study. There, they explored the university’s Dominican heritage and its ongoing contribution to the formation of future priests and leaders in the Church.
The Seminary community returns to Malta spiritually renewed, intellectually enriched, and deeply grateful for the opportunity to experience the universality, unity, and joy of the Church in the heart of Rome.
