Throughout the month of May, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica are filled with events dedicated to the Virgin Mary. From special moments of prayer to candlelight processions, the Vatican is giving the faithful the space to venerate Our Lady from the center of the Church. Aleteia gives you a glimpse of these events:
Every Saturday at 9 p.m. a Rosary is recited, accompanied by a candlelight procession. An icon of Mary is brought from the Arch of the Bells, to the left of the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica, to the center of the Square, as the crowd follows with their candles. This sequence is presided over by a different priest every time; on Saturday, May 20, it was the Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretary of the Synod, who led the event. The Venezuelan Archbishop, Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute of the Secretariat of State, will lead the last procession on May 27. For those who can’t be in Rome, the events can also be followed live on the Vatican's YouTube Channels.
Aside from the annual procession and Rosary, the Vatican has also organized the “Marian Itineraries,” which are prayer routes featuring the icons depicting the Virgin Mary inside St. Peter’s Basilica. These itineraries are held every Saturday at 4 p.m.
