Pope Leo XIV made his first “getaway” from Castel Gandolfo to visit the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception of the Poor Clares of Albano, located within the Papal Villas.
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After celebrating Mass on Tuesday morning in the chapel of the Carabinieri station in Castel Gandolfo, where he is staying during his vacation, Pope Leo headed to the nearby monastery, where he was warmly welcomed by the nuns.
The pontiff paused in prayer in the monastery chapel, sharing a moment of silence and contemplation with the sisters, whom he later greeted one by one, emphasizing that “it is beautiful that the Church knows your life, because it is a valuable testimony.”
The encounter generated various images of tenderness, reflected in the joyful and grateful faces of the Sisters of St. Clare, whose mission is to pray for the pope, for the Church, and for all of Vatican City.
The Monastery of the Poor Clares of Albano, founded in 1631 during the pontificate of Urban VIII, has maintained a special bond with the Holy See since its origins.
According to the official website of the Vatican City State, its foundation was due to the generosity of Princess Caterina Savelli and the prince and princess of Albano, who donated the monastery to Sister Francesca Farnese, founder of the Farnese Monastery in Viterbo and promoter of a reform of strict Poor Clare observance.
Throughout the centuries, the nuns have lived in this monastery a life of silence, prayer, and contemplation, faithful to the charism of St. Clare of Assisi. They have also received visits from pontiffs, especially during the summer months.
Pope Francis visited the community for the first time in July 2013, where he emphasized the “incalculable value” the sisters attribute to prayer.
“I came here because I know you pray for me! I am so grateful for all you do for the Church: prayer, penance, caring for one another… Your vocation to the contemplative life is beautiful,” Francis said.
During a visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the monastery in 2007, the pontiff emphasized that “the spiritual bond that exists between you and the successor of Peter is very close.”
St. John Paul II, during a meeting with them in August 1979, affirmed that, of all the people “the pope loves dearly, you are certainly the most precious.”
“The vicar of Christ has an extreme need for your spiritual help and counts above all on you, who, by divine vocation, have chosen the better part, which is silence, prayer, contemplation, the exclusive love of God.”
Aware of this tradition, Pope Leo XIV chose to visit them as well. Before saying goodbye, he signed the monastery’s book of honor and prayed the Lord’s Prayer with the sisters.
As a sign of gratitude, Pope Leo gave the community a chalice and paten for the celebration of Mass, and the sisters, in turn, presented him with an icon of the face of Jesus.
This article was originally published by CNA.
