(ZENIT News / Albano, 07.15.2025).- Pope Leo XIV spent part of his Tuesday, July 15, in the peaceful cloister of the Poor Clares of Albano, just south of Rome. The visit, simple in form yet rich in meaning, followed his early morning Mass at the Carabinieri Chapel in Castel Gandolfo.
The Holy Father arrived discreetly at the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, where the community of contemplative nuns welcomed him in silence and reverence. He entered the chapel and knelt in shared prayer alongside the sisters.
Later, in the chapter room, the Pope greeted each sister personally. His words were few but heartfelt: «It is good for the Church to know your life,» he told them, affirming the hidden witness of those who pray behind cloistered walls. Their quiet lives, he suggested, are not forgotten by the Church, but cherished.
Before departing, Pope Leo presented the community with a chalice and paten for their celebrations of the Eucharist—gifts that blend his appreciation for the contemplative vocation with his own devotion to the liturgy. The nuns, in turn, offered him an icon of the Holy Face of Jesus, a sign of their prayers for the burdens he carries.
It was not a major event in the eyes of the world. But in the hidden rhythm of the Church, moments like these echo far: a shepherd stepping into the silence to pray with those who sustain the Church by their unseen fidelity.
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