CASTEL GANDOLFO, located 15 miles outside of Rome, has for centuries served as a summer residence and vacation retreat for the pope.
A serene path in the gardens ends at a shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary overlooking a koi pond. There, for the last 400 years, popes have prayed for God’s guidance and Mary’s intercession when facing serious issues of global importance.
BISHOP KEVIN VANN GREETS POPE LEO XIV ON MARCH 25 IN ROME. PHOTOS BY VATICAN MEDIA
This March 24, on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Orange, Bishop Kevin Vann led a delegation of diocesan leaders and lay supporters to that very spot as part of a tour of Borgo Laudato Si’ — Centro di Alta Formazione Laudato Si’, which Pope Francis established in 2023 on the 135-acre papal summer property that the Vatican purchased in 1596.
Recently opened to the public and inaugurated by Pope Leo XIV, Borgo Laudato Si’ is named after Pope Francis’ 10-year-old encyclical that urges concrete action to be taken to save our common home, and it provides opportunities for society’s most vulnerable through events, conference, job training, education and other initiatives.
Coming soon are a hotel and restaurant that will employ many of these pilgrims from around the world.
AUXILIARY BISHOP TIMOTHY FREYER MEETS WITH POPE LEO XIV IN ROME ON MARCH 25.
“It was one of the highlights of the week,” Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Freyer said of the stroll down the path. “We spent time in prayer before the statue of our Blessed Mother, and some of the members of our group were moved to tears.
“What struck me was how peaceful it was. It wasn’t just an absence of noise, but a true sense of peace.”
‘MY CLASSMATE!’
Another highlight for the group was having a private audience, the following day, with Pope Leo, who studied canon law with Bishop Vann in the early 1980s. That monumental moment wasn’t on the agenda, and the delegation only learned the pope could meet them the day before.
“My classmate!” the Holy Father said to Bishop Vann when they saw each other. Pope Leo thanked the group for their support of Borgo Laudato Si’ – the Diocese of Orange has committed to funding two classrooms. Pope Leo shared that Borgo Laudato Si’ was a big commitment from Pope Francis and has been one of the areas he has wanted to continue and support.
“And we are [also] committed to continuing it,” said Bishop Vann.
HIS HOLINESS OFFERED HIS CONGRATULATIONS ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR DIOCESE AND EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR OUR SUPPORT OF BORGO LAUDATO SI, A PROJECT CLOSE TO HIS HEART. THIS INITIATIVE OPENS THE GARDENS OF CASTEL GANDOLFO TO THE PUBLIC, MODELS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, PROVIDES JOB TRAINING AND HOSTS AN EDUCATIONAL CENTER WHERE EVERYONE FROM CHILDREN TO CEOS CAN LEARN ABOUT CARE FOR THE EARTH, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND OUR FAITH.
During the visit, Pope Leo also gave a special blessing to mark the diocese’s anniversary.
“Our private audience with Pope Leo XIV was the honor of a lifetime and moving beyond words,” said Kevin Tiber, president of Farmers & Merchants Trust Co. He and his wife, Elaine, were part of the delegation. “Meeting the pope is difficult to put into words. It is a rare occasion when you can derive a clear sense of grace and gentleness purely from a handshake. The visit lent a sense of significance and importance to the Borgo Laudato Si’ project.”
St. Kilian parishioners Coral and Matthew Heslin (founder and chief executive officer of Heslin Holdings, Inc.) were also part of the local delegation that traveled to Rome.
“It was beyond a bucket list of a pilgrimage,” shared Coral Heslin. “We celebrated Mass each day at a different basilica. Each experience was monumentally intimate.”
Added Bishop Freyer: “Seeing Pope Leo in that small setting, what really struck me is he’s such a joyful, thoughtful and prayerful person. It just radiated from him.”
MASS IN A BAROQUE CHURCH
Auxiliary Bishop Thanh Nguyen agreed that the path to the shrine was a moving experience. It was his third time to meet Pope Leo but his first visit to the papal summer house. Leading the tour of the grounds via golf carts was Borgo Laudato Si’ manager Fr. Manuel Dorantes, joined by Cardinal Fabio Baggio and Sr. Alessandra Smerilli. Other members of the O.C. delegation included Fr. Angelos Sebastian, Fr. Bao Thai and Fr. David Moreno.
“Fr. Manuel has done a wonderful job,” Bishop Nguyen said. “He took good care of us.”
BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN GREETS POPE LEO XIV IN ROME ON MARCH 25.
The visit included Mass in a beautiful and quaint Baroque church, the Chiesa Pontificia di San Tommaso da Villanova in Castel Gandolfo.
“The church’s namesake, St. Tomas of Villanova, was an Augustinian, as is Pope Leo,” noted Tiber. “It was a providential confluence of meaningful history for the Diocese of Orange. The experiences of the week certainly provided a renewed sense of living the Gospel in my daily life and vocation.”
BEYOND ECOLOGY
The core message of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical is caring for our common home — Earth. And Borgo Laudato Si’ was designed with sustainability in mind, with smart technology, organic farming, regenerative cultivation, and a structure for the restaurant, a bookstore, and offices that is carbon neutral and is a Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB).
“This land is home for everybody and every creature,” Bishop Nguyen said. “Not only do we need to take care of nature but to please and honor God for all the goodness we’ve received in creation. Touring the grounds was a wonderful way to learn about and experience Laudato Si’ in a very concrete way.”
The spirit of Laudato Si’ goes beyond the ecological, Bishops Freyer and Nguyen noted.
It’s also about human development. Bishop Freyer said he was impressed by a community of sisters who work with women who decide to give birth rather than abort their babies.
“Many of these women are undergoing job training and the sisters care for them,” Bishop Freyer said. “Their lives will be completely transformed. There will be a school for their children, too, on the property.”
There’s also a specially designed section in the garden for people with autism spectrum disorder.
“It’s not just about the ecology,” Bishop Freyer said of Borgo Laudato Si’. “It’s about seeing each human being as a beloved of God and allowing that person through the beauty of nature, through their work, and through their relationships to grow in their faith.”