For Alexandre Santos, José Marques, and Carlos Ribeiro, today was a day they will never forget. Traveling from Fortaleza to Rome, they had the opportunity to take part in the 9th World Day of the Poor, sharing lunch with the Holy Father alongside more than a thousand people in need, as well as volunteers who today were welcomed as “honored guests” in the Paul VI Hall.
Transformed lives, friends of Shalom
The World Day of the Poor was instituted by Pope Francis in 2016. In this edition, a group of pilgrims from Fortaleza and Salvador de Bahia represented the Shalom Catholic Community in this Jubilee dedicated to the most vulnerable and needy, being celebrated in Rome from August 14 to 16.
For Alexandre Peres, without the Shalom Community he would never have reached Rome:
“I lived on the streets, addicted to drugs for 13 years, and I was rescued by Shalom. I had completely lost faith in myself. Being in Rome is a dream come true, something unimaginable for me.”
“Lunch with the Pope was wonderful; only those who were present in the Paul VI Hall could experience the peace, holiness, and grace of being near the Holy Father,” Alexandre said.
For José Marques, the emotion is overwhelming:
“I feel chosen to have lived that moment with the Pope. I am very emotional; I still can’t wake up from this dream. I was addicted to drugs and alcohol, lost in the world and on the streets. I am deeply grateful to the Shalom Community and to Saint Dulce of the Poor, who is my intercessor and brought me here.”
“By the grace of God I am here fulfilling a dream—the dream of every Catholic—which is to be in the Vatican, and even more, to have lunch with the Pope. A year ago I was living on the street; I spent 8 months on the streets until I met the Shalom Community, and since then I began a process of recovering my dignity and my family. If we let God act in our lives, everything has a solution. He can do everything and leaves nothing unfinished,” said Carlos Ribeiro.
An unforgettable ‘banquet’
Upon his arrival, Pope Leo XIV was greeted with applause by more than a thousand guests gathered in the Paul VI Hall, who received him with joy and emotion, feeling his closeness and fatherly presence.
“Many congratulations to all of you: the priests, religious sisters, and lay volunteers who work throughout the world helping so many poor people and those who live in various needs. We are truly, deeply filled with this spirit of thanksgiving today,” said the Pope.
The Holy Father also expressed gratitude for the providence and generosity of the Vincentian Community, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of its founder’s birth and whose members served the tables with a menu of lasagna, meat with vegetables, and a traditional Neapolitan dessert.
Finally, before beginning the meal, the Holy Father offered a prayer and blessing of the food:
“Let us ask the Lord to bless the gifts we will receive, to bless the life of each person present here, our loved ones, our families, and all those who have accompanied us. Let us also invoke the Lord’s blessing upon those who suffer because of violence and war, of hunger; and may we celebrate this feast today in a spirit of fraternity.”
