Pope Leo Takes Road Trip to Mountainside Shrines During His Summer Vacation
The pope prayed at Benedictine sites and shared lunch with monks after greeting pilgrims during a second surprise pilgrimage this week.
- On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, Pope Leo XIV made a surprise pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra, a shrine located more than 4,500 feet up Mount Autore on the border of Italy's Lazio and Abruzzo regions.
- Following his private trip on Monday, July 20, 2026, to the Abbey of Montecassino, the Pope continued his pilgrimage during his summer vacation at Castel Gandolfo, marking the second surprise visit this week.
- Traveling with his brother, John Prevost, the Pope visited the Holy Cave in Subiaco, where St. Benedict sought refuge, and toured the Monastery of St. Benedict and the Monastery of St. Scholastica.
- Speaking off the cuff from the shrine's balcony, Pope Leo told pilgrims the sanctuary's beauty "reminds us of the desire in all our hearts to seek God, to seek holiness, and to seek the help of God, who never abandons us."
- The Subiaco monasteries, including the Church of St. Scholastica, have served as a center for Benedictine spirituality for nearly a thousand years, while the Holy Cave houses ancient frescoes dating back to the 9th century.
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Catholic Review
Pope Leo takes road trip to mountainside shrines during his summer vacation
ROME (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV took a road trip pilgrimage with his older brother to the scenic mountainside Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra July 22 before stopping to pray in the Holy Cave in Subiaco, where a young St. Benedict sought refuge from the corruption of Rome in the early sixth century. Pope Leo XIV kisses the knee of the statue of St. Benedict as he visits the Monastery of St. Benedict in Subiaco, Italy, July 22, 2…
Pope Leo takes road trip to mountainside shrines during his summer vacation - The Leaven Catholic Newspaper
Pope Leo XIV took a road trip pilgrimage with his older brother to the scenic mountainside Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra July 22 before stopping to pray in the Holy Cave in Subiaco, where a young St. Benedict sought refuge from the corruption of Rome in the early sixth century. The post Pope Leo takes road trip to mountainside shrines during his summer vacation appeared first on The Leaven Catholic Newspaper.
Pope Leo XIV continues to make the most of his summer break in Castel Gandolfo by visiting some of the most emblematic sites of Italian spirituality. After his trips to the Abbey of Montecassino and the Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity in Vallepietra, the Pope traveled this Wednesday to Subiaco, where he visited the town's two large Benedictine monasteries and shared lunch with the monastic community. The visit, announced by the Holy See, marks the…
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