In a gesture of pastoral closeness and humility, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Holy Mass with the poor and those served by Caritas in the Diocese of Albano on Sunday, August 17, continuing his commitment to placing the marginalized at the heart of the Church’s mission.
The Holy Father will preside over the Eucharistic celebration at 9:30 a.m. at the historic Shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda, located in the picturesque Alban Hills just outside Rome. The shrine, built on the foundations of a Roman temple, stands as a symbol of the Church’s enduring presence and outreach across the centuries.
According to a statement released by the Prefecture of the Papal Household, staff members of the diocesan Caritas will be present, along with the poor and vulnerable whom they serve. The Mass reflects Pope Leo’s deeply personal emphasis on what he calls a “Church of the wounded,” rooted in accompaniment and compassion.
Immediately following the liturgy, the Pope will pray the Angelus at noon from Piazza della Libertà in nearby Castel Gandolfo, the site of the summer Papal Residence where he recently spent a brief period of rest before returning to the Vatican to lead the Jubilee of Youth.
“Pope Leo’s presence among the poor in Albano is not only symbolic but deeply spiritual,” said Fr. Luca De Sanctis, a local pastor. “He continues to remind us that Christ is encountered most intimately in those the world overlooks.”
This visit marks the Pope’s return to the Alban Hills on Friday, August 15. After his Sunday engagements, he will travel back to the Vatican later that day.
For Catholics in the region and around the world, the Pope’s quiet witness in Albano is another call to live the Gospel fully, not from the heights of power, but among the lowly and the poor.
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