VISIT
“I think of Loreto as a privileged place where young people can come and discern their vocation, at the school of Mary! A spiritual centre at the service of the pastoral care of vocations”. Pope Francis said this in his speech delivered on the square in front of the Shrine of Loreto, in which he expressed the hope that “the John Paul II Centre may be revived to serve the Church in Italy and internationally, in line with the indications of the Synod. A place where young people and their educators can feel welcomed, supported and helped in their discernment”. “For this reason, I warmly encourage the Capuchin Friars to extend the opening hours of the Basilica of the Holy House until late evening/early night to allow groups of young people to come and pray to discern their vocation”, the Pontiff exhorted the religious. “The Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto, also by virtue of its geographical position at the centre of the Peninsula, would be for the Church in Italy an ideal venue to continue the world meetings of young people and the family”, Pope Francis went on to say, expressing his conviction that “the enthusiasm linked to the preparation and celebration of these events needs to be accompanied by concrete pastoral plans which give flesh to the rich content, through opportunities for learning, prayer and sharing”.
