Pope Francis has made another visit to a Roman parish, celebrating Mass, dedicating the altar, and greeting many faithful.
On the 5th Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father Francis traveled to the Roman parish of San Giulio in the quarter of Monteverde, following the completion of work on the structure. The parish community had, until now, spent three years in a temporary structure due to the collapse of a floor.
Among the various people the Holy Father met with, Francis spent some time with the company that carried out the work of reconstruction of the church, and with all the workers.
In the structure that had housed the faithful during the reconstruction, Pope Francis was awaited by boys and girls preparing for their First Communion and for Confirmation, together with the families of children who had been Baptized or were about to be Baptized.
At almost 4 p.m., the Vicar General of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis; the Auxiliary Bishop of the Western sector, Archbishop Paolo Selvadagi; the parish priest, Father Dario Frattini; and Father Rinaldo Guarisco, Superior General of the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception, entrusted with the care of the parish, had welcomed the Pope upon arrival.
Pope Francis met with the sick, greeted those who contributed to the creation of the Living Nativity Scene, met with newlyweds and those taking part in the marriage preparation courses and greeted volunteers and those receiving aid from Caritas.
Among the various people the Pope met with were four homeless people that the parish received during the extreme cold this winter. The Pontiff also met with members of the Office of Religious Studies of the Vicariate of Rome, greeted the community’s priests and administered the Sacrament of Reconciliation to a few penitents.
Before saying his final farewells and leaving to return to the Vatican, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in the renovated parish, and dedicated the altar.
