By Deborah Castellano Lubov

“A hallmark of many who immigrated to the United States from Italy was their Catholic faith…, which sustained them in difficult moments, even as they arrived with a sense of hope for a prosperous future in their new country.”

With this recollection, Pope Leo XIV welcomed the National Italian American Foundation in the Vatican on Wednesday morning. He received them before his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, on the occasion of the Foundation’s 50th anniversary.

Warmly greeting the members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors in English, the Holy Father commended their efforts.

Their faith sustained them

“As you well know,” he recognized, “tens of millions of Americans proudly claim their Italian heritage, even if their ancestors arrived in the United States of America generations ago.”

Pope Leo thanked them for their work to educate young people regarding Italian culture and history, as well as provide scholarships and other charitable assistance in both countries, which, he said, “helps to maintain a mutually beneficial and concrete connection between the two nations.”

Italian immigrants’ Catholic faith, he said, was rich with popular piety and devotions that they continued to practice in the United States.

“This faith,” Pope Leo insisted, “sustained them in difficult moments, even as they arrived with a sense of hope for a prosperous future in their new country.”

Cherish your legacy

The Pope observed the group’s visit to the Vatican occurs during the Jubilee Year of hope, inviting them to enjoy the spiritual wealth of Rome, which is “marked by the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul as well as many saints who strengthened the Church throughout difficult periods of history.”

“In an age beset by many challenges, may this,” the Holy Father said, “renew your sense of hope and trust in the future.”

Before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, Pope Leo XIV reassured, “I pray that each of you and your families will always cherish the rich spiritual and cultural legacy that you have inherited from those who have gone before you.”