Francesco Augurusa, his son Leone, and the parchment for the Holy Father

“May the economy be a space for fraternity and the common good”

On Sunday, March 8, the Holy Father visited the Parish of Santa Maria della Presentazione on Via di Torrevecchia, in the western outskirts of Rome, marking the Pontiff’s fourth visit to the parishes of his diocese during Lent. Located between the Bastogi district and the social housing of Torrevecchia, the parish represents a fundamental point of welcome in a difficult social context: a periphery that often laments the absence of institutions and a partial media narrative, but where a vibrant and united community lives, which did not fail to welcome the Holy Father with enthusiasm and participation.

It was to this very community that Pope Leo XIV first addressed himself, inviting them to recognize the face of Jesus not only in prayer, but also in the spirit of sharing and generosity toward the most fragile, the sick, and those living on the streets, reminding them that “we can all be builders of peace and promoters of reconciliation” to make the parish and the community that inhabits it a “light and witness in the world.”

In his speech to the pastoral council, the Holy Father then recalled the last papal visit to the neighborhood: that of John Paul II in 1982, in an era prior to the construction of the parish of Santa Maria della Presentazione, which is why on that occasion Mass was celebrated in a garage: “then, gradually, you saw the entire experience of growing and accompanying together what the church is” – commented Pope Leo – “today we can truly thank the Lord for His grace, and for the many gifts.”

Since that 1982 visit, the Torrevecchia community had to wait nearly twenty years to see the construction of what is now a lively and central parish for the life of the neighborhood. The Christian Union of Business Executives (UCID) also contributed to its construction during the Jubilee of 2000 and its subsequent restoration, remaining deeply connected to this suburban parish for this reason. Precisely by virtue of this historical and spiritual bond, UCID wished to ensure its presence during the Holy Father’s visit, welcoming Pope Leo XIV with a delegation to witness once again the continuity of a commitment that unites the world of work with the social mission of the Church in the territory.

On this occasion, Francesco Augurusa, President of UCID Calabria and National Deputy Vice President of the UCID Youth Movement, was called to attend the event and welcome the Holy Father on behalf of the Association. During the meeting, our President Augurusa, together with his son Leone, delivered a parchment into the hands of the Pontiff, in which UCID solemnly renewed its commitment to promoting the Social Doctrine of the Church within the productive and managerial fabric, reaffirming the desire to transform the economy into a “space of justice and industrious fraternity.”

The initiative did not go unnoticed. On March 24, a prestigious response arrived from the heart of the Holy See: a letter from the Vatican Secretariat of State, addressed personally to President Augurusa at the UCID headquarters. In the letter, the Holy Father expressed his heartfelt thanks for the parchment received during his apostolic visit to the Parish of Santa Maria della Presentazione, imparting the Apostolic Blessing to all Associates and their families as a sign of encouragement to continue their journey of Christian witness in the world.