Meg Schlueter
Fundraising on behalf of The John Paul II Project
Evangelizing on the Streets of Rome!
$3,213.26
Raised
24
Donations
$3,000
Goal
It’s a Jubilee Year, and Matilda and I are going to serve the Church in Rome! But we need some help from you:
When Pope Francis declared 2025 a Jubilee Year for the renewal of hope, he issued a special invitation for young people to pilgrimage to Rome this summer in a week that culminates in the canonization mass of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati— a saint who is dear to many young people today. (You can read more about Bl. Pier Giorgio here). Jubilee years are traditionally proclaimed every 25 years for the purpose of encouraging the faithful to deeper conversion through pilgrimages, the repentance & forgiveness of sins, and renewed focus on the spiritual life.
So there’s our setting.
Matilda and I will be joining the JP2 Project (an incredible international, Catholic apostolate with the mission to “form young people for their vocations to build the civilization of love & truth”) and The Truth & Beauty Project to serve the THOUSANDS of pilgrims who are traveling to Rome during the Jubilee of Youth.
We will operate out of the Church of San Lorenzo, located right next door to St. Peter’s Basilica (see photo below). There, we will be running a multi-faceted center intended to inspire and equip young Jubilee pilgrims to strive towards holiness— in imitation of the soon-to-be canonized Pier Giorgio!
We will invite pilgrims in to:
Continual Adoration (times for silent recollection as well as structured worship)
Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Talks
Receiving free books and pamphlets to strengthen their spiritual lives
Fellowship activities*
Encounters with religious communities (a different religious community will be serving with us each day!)
Service to the poor**
(*) Such as: a cocktail hour for youth ministers to network, dances, and a card game night. We will also encourage private groups to reserve our space to use for their own gatherings, such as a regrouping before or after visiting St. Peter’s.
(**) Every evening, we will invite pilgrims to join our team in preparing and delivering sandwich lunches to the poor on the streets of Rome. Pier Giorgio used to do this, so the initiative will be called “Panini with Pier Giorgio.”
Because, here’s the thing: Even the pilgrims who will come to Rome with the intention of living-out the Jubilee Year (not to mention those youths who may just find it a happy excuse to travel to Rome) often find themselves lost in the large crowds and the amount of things to see and do. With so much business, it’s quite possible that you never get the opportunity to slow down and draw close to Jesus.
That is, in short, what Matilda and I, and our team of fellow missionaries, are setting-out to do: Provide a beautiful space that encourages as many young people as possible to encounter God and deepen their faith through their experience in the Eternal City during this Jubilee Year.
Here’s where we need your help:
Every missionary is committed to raising enough money to help cover the cost of running this center and our personal expenses (so that we can be there to serve). To do both, Matilda and I are trying to raise $3,000 by July 3.
We are extremely grateful for any and all donations that bring us closer to making this mission a reality.
For every person who donates, I will pray a decade of the rosary for you (and your personal intention, should you send one to me) at one of the many churches in Rome— I will have three hours each day to pilgrimage around the city. I will also send you an update at the conclusion of it all (filled with lots of adorable baby photos…🙂) on the work and impact of this mission.
If you would like donate via check, please make it payable to:
The John Paul II Project
— Write “Margaret Schlueter” in the memo line.
— Mail it to: PO Box 1022, Front Royal, VA, 22630
Finally, if you are unable to give monetarily at this time, please keep the JP2 Project, the youth and young adult pilgrims, and Matilda and me in your prayers!
