The musical will be available for a month for pilgrims coming to Rome during the 2025 Jubilee of Hope. / Credit: Courtesy of ACI Prensa
ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 16, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).
A musical that tells the story of St. Bernadette, visionary of Our Lady of Lourdes, made its debut in Rome on Jan. 14. The premiere was reserved for a select group of guests: 1,600 people from low-income families.
The Office of the Papal Almoner, headed by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, invited more than a thousand low-income people and refugees to enjoy the show in the large auditorium located on Via della Conciliazione, the wide avenue that leads to St. Peter’s Square.
On Tuesday afternoon, the thousands of guests presented their tickets, distributed at the soup kitchens and in the communities where they live, to enjoy this live performance that has been a success in France and that, starting Jan. 16, will be included in the official program of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope.
At the end of the musical, members of the Missionaries of Charity order founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta offered each guest a bag of food.
Krajewski emphasized in a statement to Vatican News that it is “very beautiful to think that the poor will see the premiere since, after all, “even in the Gospel” they are given priority.
Fatima Lucarini, the musical’s producer in Italy, expressed her desire to present the premiere to the poor of Rome, an initiative that she was able to share with the Holy Father during a private meeting they had Dec. 12, 2024, at the Vatican.
The musical will be available for a month for pilgrims coming to Rome during the Jubilee of Hope. The show will then be performed in other Italian cities such as Naples, Bari, and Turin. It is also expected to come to the United States and Latin America in 2026.
Premiered in France in 2019, “Bernadette of Lourdes” shows the plight and perseverance of Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old girl who experienced mystical encounters with the Virgin Mary in the grotto of Massabielle.
In that grotto, Bernadette saw a lady dressed in white who later identified herself as the Immaculate Conception.
The play is directed by the renowned Canadian stage director Serge Denoncourt and the starring role is played by the French singer Eyma.
The visionary of Our Lady of Lourdes died at the age of 35 after leaving Lourdes to join the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity in Nevers, France.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Vatican City, Feb 1, 2020 / 09:46 am (CNA).- There are always things which seem hopeless if seen with the eyes of the world, which is why those in religious life must stay close to the Lord every day, Pope Francis said Saturday.
Saints Peter and Paul, the patron saints of Rome, guard the entrance to Ponte Sant’Angelo, welcoming pilgrims as they begin their journey toward St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Rome Newsroom, Apr 18, 2025 / 15:10 pm (CNA).
Each year, thousands of faithful pilgrims purposefully pass over the Tiber River via Rome’s Ponte Sant’Angelo, where marble messengers lining the bridge recall Christ’s passion through the sacred symbols they solemnly hold.
In 1535, Pope Clement VII ordered the placement of statues of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patrons of Rome, at the bridge’s entrance. However, it wasn’t until 1669 that Pope Clement IX commissioned a new balustrade designed by the renowned Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Ten angels, each bearing an element of the Passion, were placed atop this structure, sculpted by Bernini’s students under his meticulous direction.
Today, on Good Friday, the Catholic Church commemorates the crucifixion of the Lord. The bridge has undergone extensive restoration in recent months, and this jubilee Holy Week unveils its newly refreshed marble.
The name “Ponte S. Angelo” etched in the bridge’s travertine stone, a testament to its centuries-old identity in the heart of Rome. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
The iconic bridge, connecting the “Ponte” district with the Borgo and the castle that once served as a papal residence, a fortress in times of war, and a prison for criminals was reopened to pedestrians in January to mark the beginning of the Jubilee of Hope and the inauguration of the new Piazza Pia, which now links Via della Conciliazione directly to Vatican City.
The angels of Ponte Sant’Angelo were designed to serve as a spiritual guide for pilgrims on their journey toward St. Peter’s Basilica.
An angel embraces the column of Christ’s scourging, illustrating Antonio Raggi’s interpretation of “Tronus meus in columna” (“My throne is upon a column”). Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Looking up while walking along the bridge, visitors first encounter an angel holding a column in its arms, a reminder of Christ’s scourging. At its base, the inscription reads: “Tronus meus in columna” (“My throne is upon a column”), a work attributed to Antonio Raggi.
Directly opposite stands an angel carrying whips, with the inscription: “In flagella paratus sum” (“I am ready for the scourging”), sculpted by Lazzaro Morelli.
An angel bearing the scourging whips, sculpted by Lazzaro Morelli, dramatically captures the suffering of Christ’s passion. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Further along, an angel holds the Veil of Veronica, the cloth used to wipe Christ’s sweat and blood, on which His face was imprinted. The base of this sculpture, created by Cosimo Fancelli, bears the inscription: “Respice faciem Christi tui” (Look upon the face of your Christ).
An angel holding the cloth representing the Veil of Veronica. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Notably, its pedestal bears a dent from a cannonball impact during the defense of the Vatican in 1870.
A visible cannonball dent marks the pedestal of an angel statue on Ponte Sant’Angelo, a battle scar from the defense of the Vatican in 1870. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
On the opposite side, an angel holds the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head, sculpted by Paolo Naldini and completed by Bernini himself. The original sculpture is now housed in the Roman church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte. The inscription reads: “In aerumna mea dum configitur spina” (In my affliction, while the thorn is driven in).
An angel holding the crown of thorns gazes heavenward, showcasing the delicate craftsmanship of Bernini’s design against the Roman sky. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Next, an angel presents Christ’s tunic along with the dice used by the soldiers to cast lots for His garments. The inscription on this sculpture reads: “Super vestimentum meum miserunt sortem” (They cast lots for my tunic), a work by Paolo Naldini.
Another angel carries a cross, a piece sculpted by Ercole Ferrata, inscribed with “Cuius principatus super humerum eius” (And the dominion is upon His shoulder), referring to Christ as the prophesied Messiah and King.
An angel bearing the cross, created by Ercole Ferrata, stands as a centerpiece among the ten statues lining the bridge. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Following this, a second Bernini-designed angel holds a plaque with the inscription INRI. The sign above the cross explains the reason for His execution: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
The inscription at the sculpture’s base reads: “Regnavit a ligno Deus” (God has reigned from the tree), referring to Christ’s cross. The original piece was also moved to Sant’Andrea delle Fratte.
Another angel holds a set of nails, symbolizing those used to pierce Christ’s hands and feet. The accompanying inscription, “Aspicient ad me quem confixerunt” (They will look upon the one they have pierced), frames this sculpture by Girolamo Lucenti.
An angel bearing the sponge used to give vinegar to the crucified Christ, with the inscription ‘Potaverunt me aceto’ (They gave me vinegar to drink) visible on its pedestal, with Castel Sant’Angelo in the background. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Opposite stands an angel carrying a sponge, recalling the one used by the soldiers to give vinegar to Jesus. Its inscription reads “Potaverunt me aceto” (They gave me vinegar to drink), a piece by Antonio Giorgetti.
Finally, there is the angel sculpted by Domenico Guidi, holding a lance—the weapon used by St. Longinus to pierce Christ’s side, from which blood and water flowed. At its base, the inscription reads: “Vulnerasti cor meum” (You have wounded my heart).
The angel with the lance of St. Longinus, sculpted by Domenico Guidi, bears the inscription ‘Vulnerasti cor meum’ (You have wounded my heart). Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Deacon Ronnie Lastovica, right, and Bishop Joe Vasquez of the Diocese of Austin celebrate Mass in the Mountain View Unit prison in Gatesville, Texas, which houses the state’s female death row, on Dec. 1, 2023. / Credit: Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition/TDCJ Communications
Vatican City, Jan 20, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
In an important move for the Catholic Church in Texas on Monday, Pope Francis named Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez to replace 75-year-old Cardinal Daniel DiNardo as head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
DiNardo, who was made a cardinal in 2007 and who led the U.S. bishops’ conference as president from 2016-2019, turned 75 — the standard retirement age for Catholic bishops — in May of 2024.
The 67-year-old Vásquez is returning to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where he served as an auxiliary bishop from 2002-2010. The bishop is coming back to the archdiocese almost exactly 15 years after moving 160 miles to the northwest to lead the Diocese of Austin.
The Mexican-American bishop also served as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Tyler from November of 2023 to December of 2024, after Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland.
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston serves 1.7 million Catholics in 146 parishes across 10 counties in southeastern Texas. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the U.S.
According to the archdiocese, the local Church is multicultural, with members coming from every continent. Liturgies are held in 14 different languages.
Vásquez, whose seminary education included five years in Rome studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Angelo in 1984.
He grew up the oldest of six children in the small town of Stamford, in west-central Texas.
Vásquez has served as a consultant to the U.S. bishops’ conference committee on pro-life activities and as lead bishop for Region X for the V National Encounter for Hispanic/Latino Ministry (V Encuentro).
Our Lady of Lourdes – Pray for us.