Pope Leo XIV will welcome 200 people living in vulnerable circumstances to a special lunch at the Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo on Saturday, July 11, offering a visible reminder that the Church is called to be a place of welcome, dignity, and hope for all.
According to Vatican News, the gathering will bring together approximately 200 guests, including 35 children, who are accompanied by the Diocese of Rome and Catholic charitable organizations. The day will begin with Mass celebrated by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, with Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín concelebrating. Guests will also enjoy refreshments, a guided visit through the Borgo Laudato Si’, and lunch with the Holy Father.
The event takes place in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, a location that has taken on new significance in recent years. Donatella Parisi, Communications Coordinator of the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center, described the transformation of the site as a powerful sign of the Church’s mission.
“This place is especially precious because it was closed to the world for 400 years, then opened by Pope Francis, and today is thrown wide open by Pope Leo. It is now welcoming these people, who for us are the guests of honor,” she told Vatican News.
Parisi explained that opening the gardens to those often overlooked reflects the Gospel call to welcome those on society’s margins.
“The message is that the Church should always be open to everyone, especially to those living on the existential peripheries,” she said, according to Vatican News.
She also connected the gathering with Pope Leo’s broader emphasis on reaching those who suffer most, noting that it follows his recent visit to Lampedusa, where he highlighted the plight of migrants risking their lives in search of safety and a better future.
“So today, on the eve of this event,” Parisi said, “we reaffirm that the Church is open to everyone and is a family, a community, and a safe harbor for those who need it most.”
According to Vatican News, this year’s guests will include refugees, single mothers and their children, people with disabilities, and participants who have completed vocational training through the Borgo Laudato Si’ and are now working toward employment and greater integration into society.
Parisi emphasized that these guests should not simply be viewed as recipients of charity but as people who strengthen the Church through their presence and witness.
“In reality, what we experience every day here at the Laudato Si’ Village is that these very people are the ones who give. They give their all and they enrich the Village and, I would even say, the whole Church through their presence and through their call for a different way of looking at society—a perspective that points to fragility as a new source of strength for our communities.”
According to Vatican News, the meal itself has been donated by the Rome restaurant L’Isola della Pizza, while refreshments have been provided by Bar Duomo in Albano, reflecting the support of local businesses for the initiative. Organizers have also prepared a menu that honors Italian cuisine while accommodating guests from diverse cultural backgrounds.
The gathering also reflects the mission of the Borgo Laudato Si’, which draws inspiration from the environmental and human ecology teachings of Pope Francis while continuing under Pope Leo’s leadership. According to Vatican News, the Holy Father has shown a strong interest in the project, including meeting participants of the Borgo Laudato Si’ Dialogues in June to encourage greater responsibility and sustainability in workplaces and industry.
For Catholics, the day’s events offer more than a charitable meal. They serve as a reminder that authentic Christian community is built not only by serving those in need but by recognizing Christ in them and allowing their witness to transform the Church itself.
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