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Cardinal Francis Leo (centre) is flanked by the cardinals, archbishops and bishops who concelebrated the Mass where he took titular possession of Santa Maria Della Salute Church in Rome on Nov. 15. Notably, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops President Pierre Goudreault (second from left, back row) and Archbishop of Vancouver Richard Smith (third from left, back row) were in attendance.
Quinton Amundson
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Photo courtesy Heidi Janz
“It is a great day for Canada in Rome.”
This declaration was made by Fr. Tim Hanley, the chair of the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Jubilee Committee, to a busload of pilgrims from the largest Canadian Catholic community during an early evening ride on Nov. 15 through the streets of the Eternal City.
Hanley informed the pilgrims that earlier in the day, Pope Leo XIV welcomed Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) President Pierre Goudreault, who shepherds the Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatiere, Que. diocese, Archbishop Richard Smith of the Vancouver archdiocese, and Fr. Jean Vezina, general secretary of the CCCB, for an audience at the Holy See. During this meeting, the pontiff gifted 62 Indigenous artifacts from the Vatican Museums' ethnological collections for transfer to National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs).
In a joint statement, the CCCB and Holy See shared that Pope Leo XIV “desires that this gift represent a concrete sign of dialogue, respect and fraternity.”
Hours after this momentous meeting, Goudreault and Smith proceeded into Santa Maria Della Salute Church to concelebrate with Cardinal Francis Leo as the Archbishop of Toronto took possession of his titular church, dedicated to Mary, Our Lady of Health.
The archdiocese outlined in a statement that each member of the cardinalate is assigned a titular church in Rome “as a way to connect them symbolically to the ancient heart of our faith, a tradition that dates back to the early days of Christianity.”
Leo will not be involved in running this 75-year-old parish located in Rome’s Primaville District moving forward. That responsibility will remain in the rector’s dominion . The relationship will be a prayerful and fraternal bond. The 54-year-old native of Montreal did vow during his homily that he would keep the parishioners of Santa Maria Della Salute Church in his prayers.
Over 100 Greater Toronto Area Catholics partaking in the Jubilee Pilgrimage observed the special liturgical celebration. Dignitaries in attendance included British Cardinal Arthur Roche, Fra' (the used abbreviated word for friar) John Dunlap of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and Joyce Napier, Canada’s ambassador to the Holy See.
A ritualistic ceremony of installation preceded the formal Mass. The parish priest met Leo at the parish entrance to offer him the crucifix. Leo kissed the crucifix and then proceeded to bless everyone in the congregation with holy water. He then observed a brief moment of adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament before retiring to the sacristy to prepare for Mass.
During his homily, mostly in Italian, he expressed “that it is a true and deep spiritual joy” that all in attendance made the effort and took the time to be present for the celebration. His spiritual message centred on moving forward in holiness of life by “seeking intimacy with Christ, availability to the Holy Spirit and authentic devotion to the Blessed Mother. This will help us walk in the ways of the Lord. This will help us receive the graces the Lord wants to give us.”
Leo gifted each churchgoer with a rosary and a prayer card as tokens of gratitude. At the end of Mass, the parish bestowed on him a replica of the San Damiano Cross, in front of which St. Francis of Assisi renounced his family's wealth to devote his life to serving God.
Leading up to the Mass, the fifth day of the Jubilee pilgrimage featured passages through the Holy Doors of both St. John Lateran Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, and a journey through the Catacombs of San Callisto. An estimated 300,000 early Christian martyrs are buried in these cemetery units.
(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)
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