The Vatican will be the stage for an unprecedented event: the Gran Procesión Internacional del Señor de los Milagros, one of the world’s most massive religious manifestations, will reach St. Peter’s Square to receive the blessing of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, October 19.
The event is part of the calendar of the Jubilee of Hope and will feature the presence of representatives from brotherhoods from about 40 cities in South America, the United States, and Europe, where Peruvian communities keep this devotion alive.
Program of celebrations in Rome
The event, organized by the Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros in Rome with the support of the Embassy of Peru to the Holy See, will take place on October 18 and 19.
The image of the Señor de los Milagros will be blessed by the Holy Father, followed by a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, as reported by the Peruvian diplomatic delegation.
More than 700 organized devotees are expected to participate, in addition to hundreds of faithful who will process more than three kilometers through the streets of Rome.
Official presentation in the Vatican
The public presentation of the event will take place on October 14, with the participation of Minister Manuel Carrasco, chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Peru to the Holy See; Wilmer Oblitas, steward of the Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros in Rome; and Dr. Alessandro Gisotti, editorial vice-director of the Vatican media, as moderator.
A video message from Peruvian Cardinal Pedro Barreto will also be broadcast, and testimonies from members of the Brotherhood will be shared.
A devotion that transcends borders
The Señor de los Milagros is considered Peru’s most important Catholic devotion. Its origin dates back to the 17th century, when an Angolan slave painted an image of the crucified Christ on an adobe wall in Lima that miraculously survived the earthquakes of 1655 and 1687.
Every October, in Lima and throughout Peru, crowds of faithful accompany the image in procession, dressed in the traditional purple habit, as a testimony of faith, penance, and unity.
Today, the tradition has spread to all five continents, becoming a symbol of identity and hope for Peruvians in the diaspora, as well as a cultural bridge with the countries that host them.
A year with special significance
The Rome procession takes on particular meaning in 2025: it is celebrated within the framework of the Jubilee of Hope and in the first months of the pontificate of Leo XIV, a Pope who has expressed on several occasions his closeness and affection for Peru.