On March 1, as a part of the third stage of his pastoral visit to the parishes of his diocese, Pope Leo XIV visited the Parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Rome. The Priests of the Sacred Heart have ministered there since 1948. The parish is located in Quarticciolo, a challenged neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of Rome. “It is certainly difficult neighborhood, but one full of hope,” said the Pope.
In an interview with Vatican News, Fr. Daniele Canali, SCJ, pastor, described the area: “In recent years I have been a direct witness to the progressive decline of this neighborhood, long abandoned by institutions. In 2014, when I arrived as a parochial vicar, we already saw the first signs of what—with the Covid-19 pandemic—has become blatant: shops closing, families leaving the neighborhood without being replaced by younger ones. Even the ‘Azzurra 7’ swimming pool, which once drew people from outside the area, has been abandoned for years. Prostitution is rampant along Palmiro Togliatti Boulevard, while a local drug trafficking network is very active. Some parishioners have been assaulted, and I myself have been a victim of assault twice. We must keep the parish doors closed for fear of theft, and there have been times when our processions through the streets were targeted by spitting.”
In his homily, Pope Leo said that he is “very happy to learn that this parish community is alive and dynamic and that, despite the serious problems of the local area, it bears courageous witness to the Gospel… I encourage you: continue on this path of openness to the territory and of healing its wounds. I hope that others will join you to be here, in Quarticciolo, the leaven of good and justice.”
Pope Leo is the third pope to visit the parish. In 1963 Pope John XXIII visited and in 1980 Pope John Paul II came to the parish.
Click here to read the original text and view more photos on the general website.
Click here to view a video of the Mass (in Italian) and the official Vatican photos.
