Pope Leo makes a stop at the parish of St. Therese | Vatican Media
On Sunday morning, Pope Leo XIV greeted the faithful of the parish of Saint Thérèse in Juanicó in Montevideo, Uruguay, expressing his closeness to them.
The Holy Father said, “You may not know this, but I am truly very happy to share this brief moment with you at the parish of Saint Thérèse. It is the first parish in Uruguay to be dedicated to her after her canonisation.”
During his stop in Juanicó, the Pope entered the parish church for a moment of prayer and recollection, then greeted the approximately 2,000 faithful gathered in the parish courtyard.
The Pope shared a personal family experience of devotion to the patron saint of the parish.
Prevost family’s devotion to St. Thérèse
“In my family, especially with my father, we had a great devotion to Saint Thérèse,” he said.
The Pope, who was on his way to the town of Florida to celebrate Mass for the feast of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, marking the conclusion of his Apostolic Visit to the country, reflected on God’s constant closeness to us.
“This is a moment of devotion, a moment of thanksgiving, a moment to recognise that God’s grace and God’s love are always with us, and that God accompanies us at every moment,” he said, stressing this remains the case “whether in happy times or when we suffer, when we are experiencing illness, pain or so many difficulties.”
Let’s live our faith courageously
Before leaving, the Holy Father imparted his blessing upon the faithful.
“Let us ask the Lord to bless each one of you and your families. For those who have brought rosaries or other devotional objects, we bless them as well at this time,” he prayed.
Finally, he prayed, ” Let us ask the Lord to help us all grow in faith, to live our faith courageously, and not to be afraid to say: ‘I am a Christian, I am Catholic, I believe in Jesus Christ.’ Jesus has given us a life that teaches us, in turn, to live by serving others, walking together in unity and seeking the presence of God, sharing with everyone the joy of being Christians.”
Source: Vatican News