The Pope's Mass with Vatican gardeners and cleaners

March 23, 2013: When we have a heart of stone it happens that we pick up real stones and stone Jesus Christ in the person of our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest of them. Pope Francis said this, commenting on the day's Readings during the Mass he celebrated on Friday morning in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

It was a simple celebration to which the Pope invited employees of the garden and cleaning services of the Governorate of Vatican City State. It was a real surprise for the more than 30 employees who accepted with joy the invitation of the Pope. Luciano Cecchetti, Head of the Vatican Gardens, in an interview said:
"Being in front of the Holy Father, in a Mass for us, is something that does not happen every day. I turned and saw the faces of the employees we came out a bit 'all with shining eyes. It was really a simple Mass. We came in direct contact with the Pope who was elected a few days ago. When we said goodbye to him at the end: we were introduced one by one and each of us had a word. What he told us is:' Pray for me '.

During the mass, Pope Francis gave them a brief homily, focusing in particular on the Gospel passage of John which recounts the episode of the Jews who wanted to stone Jesus.

Concelebrating were Cardinale Raúl Eduardo Vela Chiriboga, Archbishop emeritus of Quito, Ecuador, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary of the College of Cardinals and of the Congregation for Bishops, Mons. Alfred Xuereb and Mons. Battista Ricca, Director of the Domus.

Also present were sisters of three communities of women religious who work in Vatican City: the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul of the Santa Marta Paediatric Dispensary; the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary – Ravasco Institute of the Casa San Benedetto, the home for retired apostolic nuncios; and the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple – who come from Krakow – of the Holy Father's private storeroom.

Source: L’Osservatore Romano