On this episode of Relevant in Rome, John Morales welcomed Rome correspondent Ashley Noronha to share an update from the Vatican, even during the pause in regular Wednesday general audiences for the month of July. As tradition, the Vatican offers a break during this time so that staff and organizers may take some much-needed vacation. But while the general audiences may be on hold, Pope Leo XIV remains active in his ministry. Instead of delivering a catechesis in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father met this week with a vibrant group of religious sisters representing a variety of congregations.
Among those present were the Daughters of Divine Charity, the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great, the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and the Augustinian Sisters. This audience was not a public event, but a more intimate encounter, and the Pope’s message was both personal and deeply theological.
Pope Leo’s reflections centered on the theme of holiness and its foundation in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Drawing from the wisdom of St. Augustine, the namesake of his own order, he offered the sisters a meditation on what it means to be truly rooted in God. Quoting Augustine, Pope Leo said, “God is your everything. If you’re hungry, God is your bread. If you’re thirsty, God is your water. If you’re in darkness, God is your light that never fades. If you’re naked, God is your everlasting garment.” He offered these poetic images to reawaken each sister’s reliance on divine love in every facet of life.
The pope challenged the sisters to ask themselves a profound question: how much do they truly allow God to satisfy their deepest needs—for life, for love, and for light? It’s a question not only for those in religious life, but for all people of faith, especially in a time when the world offers so many distractions and substitutes for God’s grace. The Pope’s message was a gentle call back to the essentials: reliance on Christ, surrender of the heart, and openness to divine providence.
He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the sisters for their faithful service, especially to society’s most vulnerable. He praised their compassion, their strength, and their willingness to go where the need is greatest. Moreover, he emphasized the beauty and importance of their diverse charisms—each congregation offering a unique spiritual lens through which God’s love is made known.
Their work, he reminded them, is not just functional or logistical. It is deeply spiritual. Through their hidden sacrifices, daily prayer, and acts of mercy, they are planting seeds of goodness in a world so hungry for holiness. These seeds, watered by grace, will blossom into deeper love for Christ among those they serve.
As Ashley Noronha shared this moment, she noted how these meetings between the Pope and consecrated women often come and go without being reported on. Even in the quieter rhythm of July, the Church continues its mission in the quiet encounters where Christ speaks most clearly.
And that is the heart of the Church’s summer in Rome: still listening, still loving, and still laboring for holiness.