This afternoon, memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker, the Holy Father Francis made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love for the beginning of the Marian Month. In the ancient Shrine, before the image of Our Lady of the Miracle, the Pope recited the Rosary, praying in particular for peace in Syria and in the whole world.
On his arrival at 16.45, the Holy Father was welcomed by Archbishop Angelo De Donatis, vicar general of the diocese of Rome; the auxiliary bishop for the Southern Sector, H.E. Msgr. Paolo Lojudice; Msgr. Enrico Feroci, president of the Oblate Sons of Divine Love; Don Luciano Chagas Costa, rector of the Sanctuary; Fr Vincent Pallippadan, rector of the Seminary of Our Lady of Divine Love; and the parish priest Don John Harry Bermeo Sanchez.
After a short greeting addressed to the faithful present who awaited him, the Pope went to the ancient Shrine, accompanied by the Mater Divini Amoris polyphonic choir, which sang “Tu es Petrus”.
After the Marian prayer, in the side chapels, Pope Francis greeted the residents of the Divine Love Retirement Home, which houses 24 elderly people, and the mothers and children welcomed into the Mater Divini Amoris Family Home, entrusted to the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Love.
At the end, after the recital of the Hail Mary and the Blessing given to the faithful present in the square in front of the Sanctuary, at 18.00, the Holy Father returned to the Vatican.
The following is the brief greeting the Holy Father addressed to the faithful, before leading the recitation of the Holy Rosary, and the final greeting outside the Shrine:
Brief greeting of the Holy Father upon arrival
Thank you for your welcome. You are very festive! Thank you very much! And I ask you to follow the prayer from here. Let us pray together. See you later. But pray, eh? Thank you for the welcome!
Final greeting outside the Shrine
Thank you very much! Now I would like to give you my blessing. Let us pray to Our Lady together:
[Hail Mary...]
[Blessing]
Please do not forget to pray for me.
