Sunday, May 6, 2018

Pope visits the House of Joy

This afternoon in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis paid a pastoral visit to the Roman parish of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Tor de' Schiavi where he inaugurated the House of Joy for people with disabilities, created in attic rooms.

Upon his arrival, at approximately 4:00pm, the Pope was welcomed by Archbishop Angelo De Donatis, Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome; by Cardinal José Gregorio Rosa Chàvez; by the Archbishop of Manila and President of Caritas Internationalis, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who is involved in the birth of the House of Joy; by the pastor, Father Maurizio Mirilli; by the associate pastor, Father Vasile Alexandru Muresan and by some members of the parish staff.

Inside the oratory, the Pope met with members of the parish community and responded to four questions which were asked by a parent, a young person, an adolescent and a child.  Then, in the parish hall, His Holiness met with the elderly and the sick.  Leaving the parish hall, the Pope then went to the premises of the House of Joy.  In the place which is used as a drop-in centre, Pope Francis met with representatives of Caritas, the Neighbourhoods and the Condominium projects which provide sleeping quarters for the homeless.  The Holy Father then spent some time visiting with the disabled their families in the drop-in centre.  He then visited the new family home and, after having blessed that locale, he met with seven young people who live there along with two religious and one lay person.  He then went to the parish where he heard the confessions of a few penitents.

At 5:30pm, His Holiness celebrated Mass, during which he celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation for a child in the parish who is suffering from a mitochondrial disease and for her mother.  At the end of the Mass, following some words of greeting offered by the faithful who were gathered in the courtyard outside the church, where they had followed the Eucharistic celebration on video screens which had been specially installed for the occasion, the Pope returned to the Vatican.

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