Elizabeth Lev: Tour guides build bridges during Jubilee
Ahead of the Jubilee for Tourism on Monday, Rome-based tour guide Dr. Elizabeth Lev discusses with Vatican Radio the crucial role of tour operators and guides during the Jubilee Year, and what it means to transition from guide to pilgrim.
By Christopher Wells
Tour operators and guides—the people who elevate pilgrims’ experiences in Rome during the Holy Year—are themselves marking a special Jubilee on Monday.
After a Mass at San Salvatore in Lauro, in the heart of Rome’s historic center, tourism workers will participate in a torchlit procession to Piazza Pia, then complete their pilgrimage to the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Ahead of the Jubilee Pilgrimage, Vatican Radio spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Lev, a Rome guide for over three decades who has shared Rome’s beauty and Catholic faith with pilgrims and travelers worldwide.
In the interview, Lev describes tour guides as “bridge-builders” who help visitors grasp Rome’s culture, sites, and spirituality. “This is a vast community of people who work tirelessly to serve as a bridge between our incredibly rich history and, in the Jubilee year, a profoundly deep spirituality,” she says. “We are striving to be the best bridge and the best face we can present for the Catholic Church.”
Listen to the interview with Dr. Elizabeth Lev
Interview with Dr. Elizabeth Lev
Elizabeth Lev: My name is Elizabeth Lev, and I am a Roman tour guide.
Vatican Radio: We’re talking about the Jubilee of tourism, which is just days away. Could you explain what it’s about?
Elizabeth Lev: It has been a exceptionally busy year for everyone in the tourism sector. Tens of millions of pilgrims have visited Rome. Tour managers, guides, hotel organizers, and transportation teams have been working flat out. It felt important to find a moment where we could all come through this window together, so, with Isabella Ruggiero, head of the Italian tour guide union, we secured a place for ourselves in the Jubilee of Tourism, and we’re thrilled.
Vatican Radio: You have a heavy responsibility—the guides, operators, and coordinators across the Jubilee year. What does guiding during a Jubilee mean?
Elizabeth Lev: Consider the audience: travelers arriving from afar, many for their first international trip, often lacking the local language skills. For many, Rome can feel overwhelming. In this context, the tour guide and tour manager are often the first faces they meet. They serve as the modern Pontifex Maximus—facilitating understanding of the city’s culture, landmarks, and spiritual heart. A skilled guide can elevate the experience; a poor one can diminish it. Hence, this large community works to be a strong bridge to Rome’s rich history and its deep spirituality, especially in a Jubilee. We’re committed to presenting the Catholic Church in the best possible light.
But to sustain this effort, we lean on support through prayer. Sharing Mass, praying together, and journeying collectively to pass through the Holy Door will be, for me, the Jubilee’s high point.
Vatican Radio: Pilgrims don’t just tour, they travel as pilgrims. What does that mean for guides during the Jubilee?
Elizabeth Lev: Pilgrimage involves vulnerability. People entering Saint Peter’s through the Holy Doors do so to renew themselves and to pray for loved ones. Guides must blend historical knowledge with empathy, shaping experiences so each person feels renewed and secure. It’s about translating centuries of history into an intimately meaningful moment for each traveler.
Vatican Radio: What responsibilities do guides and operators have toward both the visitors and the places they visit?
Elizabeth Lev: A bridge is a two-way responsibility. We care for the city’s sites and aim to present them at their best. There are moments when the logistics around Saint Peter’s can be chaotic; guides help keep groups motivated, organized, and safe, and we sometimes help stabilize situations when organizational hiccups occur.
Vatican Radio: What is one core thing you hope to share with pilgrims and tourists in Rome?
Elizabeth Lev: As an American who made Rome my home more than 35 years ago, Rome has transformed my life. Guiding allows me to share what I’ve learned and to continually renew my own appreciation for the city. Even after many years, certain experiences never grow old—seeing first-time visitors enter Saint Peter’s Basilica, or sharing the intertwined histories of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, or visiting Mary Major. It’s endlessly rejuvenating.
Another current highlight is the presence of an American pope: instead of the usual talk about historical, national origins of popes, we’re celebrating Pope Leo as an American, a development that has added a warm, international perspective to the year.
Vatican Radio: Finally, what does it personally mean to shift from guide to pilgrim for this Jubilee?
Elizabeth Lev: It feels deeply fulfilling and like a full circle. At the start of the Jubilee year, the Dicastery for Communication invited me to participate in the project From Tourist to Pilgrim. The aim was to help visitors see Rome through the eyes of a pilgrim. Now, as the year concludes, I’m grateful to become a pilgrim alongside the very community I’ve served. I’m proud to belong to this group, to owe so much to them for shaping my life and drawing me closer to the Church.
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