Meet Luce, the 2025 Jubilee mascot December 23, 2024By Katie V. Jones Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Jubilee 2025, Local News, News She has blue hair, muddy boots and wears a yellow raincoat. Meet Luce, the official Vatican mascot for the upcoming Jubilee Year. Designed by Italian illustrator Simone Legno, Luce, which means “light” in Italian, is drawn in the anime style with hopes of attracting a younger generation. Every detail on the figure is symbolic. Her yellow raincoat reflects the color of the Vatican’s flag, while her dirty boots symbolize her journey as a pilgrim with her missionary cross and pilgrim staff guiding her. Luce’s bright eyes feature a scallop shell, a traditional symbol of a pilgrimage. “The memes are good,” Ian Holmes, 21, a junior at Towson University who will travel to Rome for the jubilee, said. “It’s good for evangelism. I’m down to get a Luce souvenir.” Three anime friends, Fe, Xin and Sky were also created to travel with Luce on her journey as was a dog, Santino. “My friend who doesn’t know much about Catholicism asked me, ‘What is going on? Why did the Vatican make an anime?’” said Abigail Arhems, 19, a sophomore at TU headed to Rome, too. “I feel the church did it to engage the younger generation,” Ben Tarnosky, 20, a junior at TU who is also headed to Rome, said. “If a little anime is doing anything, it’s sparking conversation.” Email Katie Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org Read More Jubilee 2025 Christian hope shows that the earth can resemble heaven, pope says Reflections on the synodal journey Catholics must build a more humble church, seeking truth together, pope says Cardinal McElroy urges ‘gratitude, compassion, shared purpose’ to heal national divisions More than 230 pilgrimages across the U.S. mark 10 years of ‘Laudato Si’ One can’t serve God and money, pope says on day he signs text on poverty Copyright © 2024 Catholic Review Media Print
