“God loves us,
God loves you all,
and evil will
not prevail.”
Pope Leo XIV

What an exciting day for Kathy, my brother Tom, and the other pilgrims who attended the morning Angelus prayer with Pope Leo XIV today. Kathy, Tom, and more than a dozen others have spent the past thirteen days exploring the history of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. 

The pilgrimage began in Spain, where the group visited Loyola, the birthplace of Saint Ignatius, as well as Manresa and Montserrat, where Ignatius had profound spiritual experiences. They are now in Italy, where they are able to visit the place Ignatius was ordained to the priesthood, where he celebrated his first Mass, and where the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) was officially recognized and approved by Pope Paul III in 1540. 

Today, the group had the opportunity to see Pope Leo XIV in person at Castel Gandolfo, the pope’s summer residence. It is located in the town of Auburn Hills, just outside of Rome.

I happened to wake up at exactly 2:00 this morning, which is 11:00 a.m. in Rome, so I came here to my home office and watched the livestream of the prayer service. It was amazing for me to think that Kathy and Tom were both in attendance.

No doubt, this will one of the most memorable experiences in their lifetimes. Even though I watched from home, it will be memorable for me, as well.