In the previous edition, the Marian shrine welcomed the testimonies of a woman from the world of television, one from the world of cinema and one from the world of music.
This year, the organisers chose to invite three consecrated women who hold important and significant roles within the Church, positions entrusted to them by Pope Francis and subsequently confirmed by Pope Leo.
“Their presence in the Basilica, as well as allowing us to get to know them directly without intermediaries, will enable us to perceive the Church – even in its highest institutions – as close to and alongside the people of God,” commented Fr Michele Viviano, Rector of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin. “At the same time, given their delicate service and role within the Vatican, they can help us better understand how Mary is the Mother of the Church and how much our society today needs mothers and women who find in Mary, the woman par excellence, their model.”
Consequently, the programme for these Marian Saturdays, aptly named “Women’s Saturday Evenings”, is as follows: Each will, in turn, be introduced by another woman and communications professional, all journalists from the Diocese of Turin and Susa, thereby also highlighting female professionalism within the local Church.
To round off the evening and celebrate feminine sensibility in its entirety, the three choirs that will open and close the three evenings with Marian hymns are also exclusively female: these will be the Women’s Choir of the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) of Turin; Turin’s Basilica of Mary Help of Christians Women’s Choir and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians Choir.
- Saturday 2 May 2026 Sister Simona Brambilla M.C., Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, will speak;
- On Saturday 9 May, Sister Raffaella Petrini F.S.E., President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, will be present;
- whilst on Saturday 16 May, Sister Yvonne Reungoat F.M.A., member of the Dicastery for Bishops and former Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, will speak.
- On Saturday 2 May, the proceedings will be introduced by Dr Marina Lomunno, journalist and editor-in-chief of the Diocese of Turin’s weekly magazine La Voce e il Tempo;
- On Saturday 9 May, the session will be moderated by Dr Federica Bello, Editor-in-Chief of the Susa diocesan weekly La Valsusa;
- whilst on Saturday 16 May, the evening will be led by Dr Lara Reale, journalist and manager of the two diocesan websites: Turin and Susa.
