On a day of intense cold, with temperatures plunging to 30 degrees celsius below zero, the extraordinary participation of the people warms the heart—and the soul.

On 29 December 2024, in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, the 2025 Jubilee opened with a solemn celebration that, even here in the farthest reaches of the world, could not be missed or overlooked.

The memory of that day remains vivid in the mind of Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, the Apostolic Prefect of this tiny Church community, which numbers around 1,600 baptized individuals out of a population of 3.2 million spread across a territory of more than 1.5 million square kilometers.

A grand procession

His detailed recollection, shared in an interview with Vatican News, helps reconstruct that day, which began with a grand procession that started outside the Cathedral dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, the seat of the apostolic prefecture.

"We began from the great cross that was used during the papal Mass during Pope Francis' Apostolic Visit in September 2023," he said. "After praying part of the Rosary outside, we solemnly entered the Cathedral, looking towards the other crucifix that stands above our altar, to which we directed our gaze and our prayers. It was a very intense celebration that allowed our people to feel in communion with the universal Church."

The Word of God and formation

The celebration marked a culmination in preparations by the faithful of the Ulaanbaatar Apostolic Prefecture. There have been many opportunities for formation and in-depth reflection, one of which best encapsulated the need to exercise hope, the central theme of the Holy Year.

"It was the experience of communion and animation with Gen Rosso, the international group of artists who came to visit us between the end of November and the beginning of December. Together, we prepared workshops and a concert. The common thread of these activities was the concept we called 'hoping together,' which was also the theme of the papal visit nearly two years ago."

Preparing well for the Jubilee also meant rediscovering the history of a local Church that has roots in an ancient Christianity but, in contemporary times, boasts only thirty-three years of existence.

"This too has been an exercise in hope, wanting to accept the Jubilee invitation to look to the future with eyes full of faith, never discouraged," he said.

Renewal and rebirth

During the Holy Year, the formation of the faithful will be a constant focus of activities. Information and catechesis will be made available to everyone so that the deep meaning of the grace of the Jubilee can truly be appreciated.

"In this regard, we are also thinking about a pamphlet with explanations on how to obtain an indulgence, which will highlight the true meaning of the conversion journey that we are all trying to undertake here, a renewal that must start from the continual purification of our hearts."

What Cardinal Marengo values most in this context of faith is the dimension of charity, an essential condition for receiving the Jubilee grace.

"The works of mercy, offering our struggles and sufferings to the Lord, are not insignificant. Nor are the sacrifices that everyone can make to participate in our formation meetings, like the pastoral week we will have in May," he said.

Parish pilgrimages

Although it will be difficult, almost impossible, for the faithful from Mongolia to journey to Rome on pilgrimage—not only due to the vast distance but also because of the high travel costs—the Apostolic Prefect explains that "the graces of the Jubilee reach us where we are and are manifested in initiatives that relate to everyday life: prayer, caring for others, multiplying mercy as a concrete way to exercise hope."

But beyond the pilgrimage that the faithful can make to the Ulaanbaatar Cathedral, there is another that is especially close to the Cardinal's heart: one aimed particularly at young people, which will take place in the nine parishes of the Prefecture.

"Five of them are in the capital, four are spread across the country. We realized that, in many cases, the faithful of one parish don't know the other communities well. So we thought that, when the good weather comes, we could organize mutual visits."

And since the distance between one parish and another can be hundreds of kilometers, Cardinal Marengo has thought of a "Jubilee passport," especially for young people.

"It will be a sort of identity card with personal data that can be stamped each time someone visits a parish. I believe this is a really beautiful way to thank the Lord for the gift of these communities scattered across such a vast territory."

The gaze of Mary

In Ulaanbaatar, the Jubilee is unfolding under the loving gaze of the Mother of Heaven, a title Pope Francis gave to the statue of Mary, which was miraculously found a few years ago in a northern city's landfill by a non-Catholic woman and then enshrined in the Cathedral.

"This is why the Cathedral is increasingly playing a fundamental spiritual role for the faithful, who can go before this small wooden statue and entrust their lives to the Virgin Mary."