Home · Faith · Oct 29 archive
Pope Leo XIV to Visit Five Roman Parishes This Advent
· Confirmed
In Short: The Vicariate of Rome announced on Wednesday, October 28, that Pope Leo XIV will visit five Roman parishes between November 27 and December 20, meeting local communities and celebrating Mass as part of a series of pastoral visits for Advent.
EWTN Vatican correspondent Valentina Di Donato spoke with Father Giulio Albanese at the Vicariate of Rome about why this kind of pastoral outreach matters—especially during Advent.
Father Albanese noted that Rome is the Church that “presides in charity” according to the teaching of St. Ignatius of Antioch, and that the Bishop of Rome is the Pope because here in Rome, 2,000 years ago, the apostles Peter and Paul preached the good news and were martyred.
The Pope’s itinerary includes visits to Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Castro Pretorio, Ascension of Our Lord in the East, Our Lady of the Presentation in the West, and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Ponte Mammolo.
Antonio Panico, a local priest, said the Pope’s visit would be “an occasion of joy and a moment of ecclesial communion” and a source of grace and celebration for the whole community.
Cardinal Reina, speaking to Vatican News, said, “Through these parishes, our entire diocese is celebrating.”
Each afternoon visit will follow a similar pattern, providing an opportunity to conduct the pastoral review within communities that the Pope had called for at the assembly marking the start of the year.
The Vicariate of Rome also announced that the Pope will visit San Carlo da Sezze, in the southern sector, on Sunday, November 29.
The visits highlight the ancient reality of the papacy, which begins not in ceremonies, but in shepherding, as noted by Father Albanese.
In addition, Pope Leo XIV joined hundreds of children at the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens on October 1 to pray the Rosary for peace, launching a global week of prayer as part of the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign.
The initiative, organized in collaboration with the Shrine of Fátima, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and the World Apostolate of Fátima, involves children, families, parishes, schools, and Church groups on every continent.
More than 700 children from schools and parishes in Rome joined Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican Gardens on October 1 to pray the rosary for peace in the world.
Pope Leo XIV invited the children to imagine “fifty million Hail Marys” rising to heaven “from everywhere and in all the languages of the earth,” united like a great Rosary crown encompassing continents, peoples, and nations.
Background
Pope Leo XIV will visit five Roman parishes between November 27 and December 20, meeting local communities and celebrating Mass as part of a series of pastoral visits for Advent, the Vicariate of Rome announced on Wednesday, October 28.
Vatican News is the official news portal of the Holy See, serving as a source of information about the activities, pronouncements, and events related to the global Catholic Church and the operations of the Holy See.
What's confirmed
- Pope Leo XIV joined hundreds of children at the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens Photo: Vatican Media The initiative runs from 1 to 7 October and unites children, families, schools, parishes, and communities around the world in a single prayer. (ZENIT News / Vatican City, 09.30.2026).- Pope Leo XIV joined hundreds of children at the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens on Thursday, 1 October, to pray the Rosary for peace, launching a global week of prayer as part of “One Million Children Praying the Rosary”, an international initiative promoted by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
- The prayers of Pope Leo XIV and the children of Rome will be joined by prayer gatherings planned in locations around the world, “from the Bolivian Amazon to parishes in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and many other places affected by war, poverty, or instability,” ACN said.
- The initiative is organized in collaboration with the Shrine of Fátima, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and the World Apostolate of Fátima.
- The “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative began in Venezuela in 2005.
What's still developing
- “Do not be afraid of your smallness”: This was the encouragement offered by Pope Leo XIV to the bishops of the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions (CELRA), who were received in audience at the Vatican on September 3, 2026.
- While children gather in the Vatican, similar initiatives are being prepared across the UK and numerous other countries, from indigenous communities in the Bolivian Amazon to parishes in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.
- “Prayer also educates our hearts towards peace, forgiveness, and caring for others,” noted the cardinal, who asked the Pope for his blessing so that children might learn, with Mary, to be “little peacemakers”.
- Many parishes, schools, families, and communities join the initiative without formally registering, especially in places where internet access is severely limited or non-existent.
- Next year, it will mark the 40th anniversary of its dedication.