Pope Leo XIV Visits Sant'Angelo Lodigiano and Prays at Cabrini Tomb

Pope Leo XIV visited Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, and prayed before the tomb of Mother Frances Cabrini in a basilica named for her. He presided over an evening prayer service in the town near Milan. The pope exalted Cabrini as a model for Christians to care for migrants.

He said her example remained relevant because she dedicated her life to serving people who had left everything behind. ” Pope Leo XIV said. He also asked what Cabrini’s missionary spirit would say if she were alive and what Pope Francis would ask of her.

Pope Leo XIV urged young people to learn about Cabrini’s life and service. He told them to read her writings, travel journals, and notes from retreats. “I therefore take this opportunity to make an appeal, especially to young people: get to know St.

” he said. Before arriving in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Pope Leo XIV stopped in nearby Pavia to pray at the tomb of St. Augustine. He encouraged Italians to rediscover their Catholic faith and said Augustine’s conversion story and spirituality remind people of the value of interiority.

Pope Leo XIV proclaimed himself a “son of St. Augustine” on the night of his election and has cited Augustine frequently in his first year as pope. U.S. citizen in Chicago.

She was canonized in 1946 as the first American saint. Last week, Pope Leo XIV spent two days in Spain’s Canary Islands, where he called for welcoming and integrating migrants. His next Italy day trip is scheduled for July 4, 2026, to Lampedusa, the Sicilian island that is a major destination for migrants from North Africa.

Pope Francis made his first trip outside Rome as pope to Lampedusa in 2013.