Diocese of Macerata holds pilgrimage in Assisi

Approximately one thousand members of the Diocese of Macerata gathered in Assisi to celebrate the opening of the 2026-27 pastoral year as part of the Franciscan Jubilee. The group, which included catechists, educators, and youth, processed to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli alongside Bishop Nazzareno Marconi and the local clergy.

During the mass, Bishop Marconi introduced his pastoral letter, ‘Custodire l’umano, abitare il quotidiano’ (Guarding the human, inhabiting the everyday). The document outlines five commitments derived from Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’: remaining faithful to the truth, investing in education, guarding relationships, loving justice, and building peace, alongside the principle of synodality.

The event included a significant visit to the Porziuncola, occurring one month before the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis. Additionally, over 130 young people participated in a 14-kilometer overnight pilgrimage from Spello to Assisi via the Via Lauretana.