From Rimini to Rome, to say thank you to Pope Leo XIV. On Wednesday, 23 September, around 400 people from the Diocese of Rimini will take part in the general audience in St Peter’s Square, just over a month after the Pontiff’s visit to the city on 22 August.
The trip will involve five coaches organized by Ariminum Travel carrying roughly 230 participants, an additional coach from the parish of Viserba Mare, and more than a hundred people making their own way to Rome. During the journey, participants will take part in moments of prayer and watch a video summary of the live coverage produced by Icaro Tv during the papal visit.
The group will gather at 7am in St Peter’s Square, with the audience set to begin at 10am. The delegation from Rimini will greet the Pope and present him with several gifts: a book on the Malatesta Temple, a piece of artistic ceramics, a lifeguard uniform from the Rimini Lifeguards’ Cooperative, a collection of religious works by painter Giorgio Bellini, and the mitre crafted for his 22 August visit. The banner reading “Grazie Papa Leone!” (“Thank you, Pope Leo!”), previously displayed in Rimini, will also make a return appearance. At midday, Bishop Nicolò Anselmi will preside over Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.
“Our gratitude is meant to become a commitment,” the bishop said, explaining that the Pope’s visit should not remain simply a fond memory, but continue to bear fruit in the form of life, prayer, communion, and care for others.
The trip will also serve as a step toward the diocesan assembly on 4 October and the start of the new pastoral year. Meanwhile, the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, scheduled from 15 to 20 November, remains confirmed, with around 60 requests to take part already received.
