Restoring a tradition that had circumstantially ceased under Pope Francis, the Pope will visit one parish in each of the sectors of his diocese this Lent.Lenten campaign 2026
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On Sundays in Lent, Leo XIV will begin his first pastoral visits to parishes in his diocese of Rome, the vicariate announced on January 23, 2026. Pope Francis interrupted this tradition starting in 2019, due to his mobility issues and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the course of a month, the new pope will visit five parishes in the city. He will also meet with priests from the Italian capital on February 19.
Like his predecessors before him, Leo XIV, elected on May 8, intends to meet with the parish communities of his diocese. The Pontiff, whose schedule was unusual because of the jubilee until the end of 2025, will make his first round of visits during Lent — the 40-day liturgical season in preparation for Easter.
Every Sunday from February 15 to March 15, the 267th pope will visit a parish in one of the five sectors of his diocese, which is divided into geographical areas.
The five chosen parishes
The program includes the “southern” sector as the first stop, with the parish of Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia on February 15. Located on the Mediterranean coast, this parish is served by the Pallottine religious order.
On February 22, Leo XIV will travel to the central sector, and will be welcomed at the Basilica of Sacro Cuore di Gesù in Castro Pretorio. Located near Termini Station, this parish is the seat of the Salesians. Their founder, Don Bosco, worked on its construction in the 19th century, supported by Leo XIII.
The following Sunday, March 1, the Pope will visit the eastern outskirts of Rome, at the parish of the Ascensione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo. The Dehonians work in this church in the working-class neighborhood of Quarticciolo, which is plagued by drug trafficking and crime.
Leo XIV will then visit the parish of Santa Maria della Presentazione in western Rome on March 8, and finally the parish of Sacro Cuore di Gesù in the north on March 15. The latter is located in the Ponte Mammolo neighborhood, where the Rebibbia prison is located.
During these visits, Leo XIV will meet with the various leaders of these parishes, those involved in pastoral work, and young people, according to Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina, the pontiff's right-hand man for the diocese. He will also celebrate Mass in these churches.
A second meeting with priests
At the beginning of Lent, on February 19, the day after Ash Wednesday, the Pontiff is also scheduled to meet with the priests of the diocese of Rome — as his predecessors John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis did. The clergy will meet with him at 10 a.m. in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican.
Leo XIV already met with the priests of his diocese one month after his election, on June 12. Rome has a total of 8,020 priests and deacons, including some 809 priests incardinated in the diocese, more than 2,300 priests studying at pontifical universities, and some 3,900 religious priests.
