Instead of the cartoon characters that are often associated with Halloween, I want to introduce you today to the new mascot of the Silver Jubilee, which the church is celebrating in 2025, as the cheerful face of the Catholic Church’s upcoming holy year. The mascot, named Luce — which means “light” in Italian — is intended to engage a younger audience and guide visitors through the holy year, as well as engage with the pop culture so beloved by our young people. The mascot will debut this week at the Lucca Comics and Games, Italy’s celebrated convention for all things comics, video games, and fantasy, where the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization will host a space dedicated to “Luce and Friends.” This will allow us to speak to younger generations about the theme of hope, which is more central than ever in the evangelical message. Clad in a yellow raincoat, mud-stained boots, and a pilgrim’s cross, Luce’s mission is to guide young pilgrims toward hope and faith with her trusty dog Santino at her side. Shells glimmer in her eyes, recalling the scallop shell of the Camino de Santiago, an emblem of the pilgrimage journey.
Simone Legno, the Italian co-founder of the pop culture brand tokidoki, designed Luce and her “pilgrim friends” — Fe, Xin, and Sky, each outfitted in brightly colored jackets (seen in the second photo.) Luce’s yellow sailor’s raincoat is a nod to both the Vatican flag and to journeying through life’s storms. The mascot’s muddy boots represent a long and difficult journey, while her staff symbolizes the pilgrimage toward eternity. The jubilee year itself will begin with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve 2024, welcoming an anticipated 30 million pilgrims into Rome by the time the Holy Year ends on Jan. 6, 2026.
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