The Caravita Community in Rome was founded in 2000 by Jesuits and their lay colleagues to create a space to welcome pilgrims from around the world who were visiting for the Jubilee Year. Consisting of Anglophone speaking Catholics who call Rome their home, this community celebrates liturgy every Sunday and hosts different cultural events throughout the year.

It also has become a place of ecumenical friendship and collaboration due to Caravita’s relationships with the Anglican Centre and the Methodist Ecumenical Office. Through our common worship and reflection, especially during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and annual ecumenical retreat in Orvieto, as well as our commitment to social justice efforts sponsored by Churches Together in Rome (CTiR), Caravita fosters relationships between the various ecclesial communities in the Eternal City.

Located next to the Church of Saint Ignatius, the oratory whose construction began in 1631 and which was completed two years later, was financially supported by the noble families who lived around the Pantheon and was named after its founder, the Jesuit, Pietro Caravita. The chapel is adorned with scenes of the life of St. Francis Xavier painted by Lazzaro Baldi,  Sebastiano Conca, and Baldassarre Peruzzi. In 1770, the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart performed at the oratory during his visit to Rome.

Pilgrims from various Jesuit institutions, parish and school groups, and those who are looking for a spiritual home while they are in Rome, are welcome to join the Caravita community each Sunday for liturgy at 11.00 am (from the beginning of September to the end of July) and during Holy Week and other special liturgical feasts. Caravita is blessed to have Jesuits, religious, and other clergy, who contribute to the worship and music of this sacred space.