Lay leaders from 115 Catholic associations, movements, and new communities have gathered at the Vatican for a three-day meeting focused on evangelization and formation in the spirit of Christian hope.
Organized by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, the annual meeting is taking place from June 4 to 6 in the New Synod Hall.
Nearly 250 participants from around the world are attending this year’s gathering, which is being held under the theme: Evangelization and Formation in the Light of Christian Hope.
The initiative forms part of the Church’s broader preparations for the Jubilee Year 2025 and seeks to encourage a renewed missionary spirit among lay communities navigating the complex realities of the modern world.
The meeting opened Wednesday afternoon with remarks from Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery.
Historians and scholars Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, and Luigino Bruni, vice president of the Economy of Francesco, offered a joint reflection on the internal and external challenges facing ecclesial movements in what many now refer to as the “post-founder” era.
The first day concluded with a penitential liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica. Participants reflected on past shortcomings and prayed for personal and collective renewal in their mission to bring the Gospel to contemporary society.
On Thursday, the focus will shift to the theological foundations of Christian hope. The day will begin with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, to be celebrated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will follow with a keynote address on “Rethinking Mission in the Light of Hope.”
The session will also feature a testimony from a Chilean couple affiliated with the Communion and Liberation movement.
Additional speakers will include Prof. Donna Orsuto of the Pontifical Gregorian University, who will discuss the formation of “people of hope,” and lay leaders from Spain and India, who will share experiences from Catholic Action and Jesus Youth.
In the afternoon, participants will break into working groups to reflect on how the Jubilee Year can serve as a catalyst for revitalizing their missionary commitments and becoming more visible signs of hope within the Church and society.
The Vatican meeting will conclude Friday and will be followed by further Jubilee-related celebrations involving ecclesial movements, which the Dicastery hopes will spark what it calls “a renewed Pentecost” across the global Church.
