On 8 and 9 March 2024 the eleventh annual celebration of "24 Hours for the Lord"

The "24 Hours for the Lord" celebration has reached its eleventh edition. The event is a Lenten initiative of prayer and reconciliation instituted by Pope Francis, which is celebrated every year in dioceses around the world on the eve of the fourth Sunday of Lent.

The motto chosen by the Pope for this year’s celebration, which will be held from Friday 8 to Saturday 9 March, is taken from chapter 6 of the Letter to the Romans: “Walking in a new life”.

In preparation for the Resurrection at Easter, on Friday evening and all day on Saturday, the idea is that local churches arrange for church buildings to be opened, in order to offer the faithful the opportunity to stop in adoration at any time and go to confession if they wish. This year's event is part of the Year of Prayer, and the "24 Hours for the Lord" will be an opportunity to experience the prayer of forgiveness.

Starting last year, to emphasize the ‘parish’ dimension of the celebration, Pope Francis has presided over the celebration of the "24 Hours for the Lord" in a parish in the city of Rome. This time, the liturgy with the Holy Father will be held on Friday 8 March 2024 at 4.30 pm in the parish of San Pio V (Largo San Pio V, 3). During the celebration there will be an opportunity for all the faithful who wish to receive the sacrament of reconciliation to do so. Pope Francis will also hear confessions.

The open doors of churches are a symbol of God's merciful love. In preparation for the "24 Hours for the Lord", the Dicastery for Evangelization has published a pastoral guide which contains material for personal prayer and suggestions for the celebration in the local community. The suggestion to dioceses and parishes, in Italy and around the world, to celebrate the moment of prayer in their own community is once more renewed.

The handout can be downloaded free of charge, in Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and French, from the Dicastery website - http://www.evangelizatio.va/content/pcpne/en/attivita/24ore.html

A limited number of tickets will be available to participate in the liturgy with the Holy Father. Tickets can be collected, until they run out, from Tuesday 5 March to Thursday 7 March 2024, from 10am to 5pm, at the Jubilee 2025 Info Point in Rome on Via della Conciliazione, 7.