Between 10th and 14th November 2025, six parishioners from Our Lady’s parish made a pilgrimage to Rome which had been organised by Fr Francis Ututo SMMM. They were joined by parishioners from several other parishes, and were guided on their pilgrimage by a priest who was living in Rome, Fr Jude.

The 2025 Rome Pilgrimage was focused on the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” offering a special time for grace, indulgence, and spiritual renewal, with key events including the opening of the Holy Doors at St. Peter’s Basilica and other Papal Basilicas.

The group stayed at at a cosy establishment run by nuns, and received excellent hospitality. The tour included the pilgrims visiting the Holy Doors, (St Peter’s Basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore, St Paul Outside the Walls, and St John Lateran). The pilgrims also took a train journey to Assisi, to visit the Basilicas of St Francis and St Clare, and the shrine to St Carlo Acutis. A great highlight of the visit was to witness Pope Leo XIV as he was driven around Vatican Square in his Popemobile. At the end of their pilgrimage the parishioners were each presented with a commemorative certificate. The visit to Rome was a great experience for our group, both from a social and spiritual perspective.