(ANS – Rome) – Along Via Marsala in Rome, near Termini Station, and in front of the Salesian Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Castro Pretorio, the third edition of the Way of the Cross dedicated to homeless individuals took place on Friday, March 27, 2026. The Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rome, Bishop Michele di Tolve, who presided over the celebration, reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to them, recalling: “These are people who inhabit our streets, but whom we do not always recognize in our hearts.” There was a large turnout from the Salesian educative and pastoral community, which helped promote the initiative.

The Passion of Christ meets the path of the invisible, touching the open wounds of people in search of hope. Once again this year, for its third edition, the homeless were at the center of the so-called “Way of the Cross of the Invisible,” organized by the Caritas Don Luigi di Liegro Hostel together with the Salesian Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, alongside other organizations such as the John Paul II Evening Soup Kitchen, which provides hundreds of hot meals to those in need, and the shelter at Porta San Lorenzo, open during the Jubilee Year to offer a bed and a meal to many homeless individuals. All these institutions are located near Termini Station, an area marked by a significant presence of men and women affected by profound loneliness, economic hardship, forced migration, and indifference.

The theme of this third year, “The Way of the Cross, the Way of Peace,” accompanied the entire journey, which began with Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and concluded at the Caritas Hostel.

The basilica, filled to capacity, and the procession of at least 200 participants along the route seemed to bring time to a standstill. The faces of the homeless, so often overlooked, became a living presence.

Bishop Di Tolve: “God Rejects No One”

Bishop Michele di Tolve, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rome, emphasized in his homily that the homeless, unlike how they are often treated by society, are never forgotten by God. “Just as Jesus was rejected despite standing alongside those who suffer,” he said, “today we have a duty to help our neighbor, to make them feel welcomed, despite the walls and rejection from those who turn away.”

The bishop expressed hope that all might follow the way of the Gospel so that the invisible may become brothers and sisters to all, and that “we may increasingly become the Church of God’s love.”

At the conclusion of the Way of the Cross at the Caritas Hostel, he reflected on the journey of the faithful in following Christ, who always turns toward the least and the unseen. He emphasized how the cross, once an instrument of death, “has become a sign of hope through the total love of Jesus,” and how even in rejection and suffering, Christ continues to welcome without judging.

His death represents a universal peace founded on love for all humanity.

The Emotion of Those Present

“In these moments I realize that Christ is with me and that there is hope,” said Pierluigi, a 57-year-old resident of the shelter who participated in the Way of the Cross. With tears in his eyes, he shared that he felt at home walking this path, even if only for a moment during a difficult time in his life. “I have many sorrows behind me,” he said, “the greatest being the loss of a daughter twenty years ago. But now I have a new dream, inspired by this Way of the Cross: to embrace my family again and find peace, especially seeing what is happening in the world.”

Beside him was Ahmed, a Muslim who shares the shelter with Pierluigi. He spoke of his emotion upon hearing the bishop’s words: “I was in the house of God—I could feel it—and there I found many brothers.”

Stories of despair and redemption, of hardship and resilience, were also shared by Edomwonyi and Paulo, she from Nigeria and he from South America, both experiencing homelessness. They described finding “refuge and light” through the solidarity of Caritas, saying they “felt the closeness of the city through this celebration.” Likewise, an elderly resident of the Di Liegro Hostel, as recounted by Luana Melia, coordinator of the Caritas Shelter, participated despite illness, convinced that the Lord would give him the strength to carry the cross, even if only for a few minutes.

A Tangible Sign

At the end of the procession, what remained was not only the memory of a celebration, but a tangible sign of encounter. On a street too often marked by indifference, for one evening the “invisible” had a name, a face, and a shared story. The Way of the Cross became a lived experience, capable of uniting different sufferings under the same horizon of hope.

As the lights once again illuminated Via Marsala and daily life resumed, a quiet realization remained: when one person stops and recognizes another, even suffering can be transformed into brotherhood.

The Way of the Cross of the Invisible “sought to reveal the face of God’s mercy toward the most vulnerable—those wounded and lost sheep whom He seeks out and places first,” commented Fr. Javier Ortiz Rodriguez, Salesian and parish priest of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, capturing the essence of the celebration.

Sources: Vatican News, Roma Sette