Please join us at all Masses on Saturday December 20th and Sunday December 21st for the Blessing of the Bambinelli.
Everyone is invited to bring their Baby Jesus figurines from their home Nativity sets for this special blessing.
A beloved annual tradition at the Basilica in preparation for Christmas, is the Blessing of the Bambinelli, first instituted by St. John Paul II. On the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, children and adults bring their baby Jesus (Bambinelli) figures from their Nativity sets to St. Peters Square where they are blessed by the Pope. Now celebrated in churches around the world, this Advent tradition is a way for children and adults to connect their Nativity scene at home to the celebration of Christmas at their church.
May the Infant Jesus, present in the Crib of your home, be the concrete sign of a clear and sincere faith, which will enlighten, guide and direct your life and that of your dear ones. St. John Paul II