Pope Leo XIV visited Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, and in each place, thousands of people came out to welcome him with faith, joy, and hope. His visit to Argentina has left a profound impact that has resonated deeply in recent days.
Here we’d like to share something different with you: how Mother Cándida’s family experienced it. Sisters, laypeople, young people, and alumni from La Plata, Córdoba, and Buenos Aires have sent us their testimonies. Some were right in the thick of it, others followed every step on television, and they all agree on one thing: those were days of grace.
Before he arrived: the early morning, the rosary, and excitement
Some people began experiencing the visit long before they saw the Pope. Julieta, former principal of the Colegio Eucarístico in La Plata, shared with us from the Monumento de los Españoles in Buenos Aires: “I’ve been here since early this morning… there are so many people, and the excitement is building as the hours go by. He’ll be heresoon. They’re here with me… on my rosary.”
The Mass for Families
María Clara Laconís, “Clarita,” a teacher and pastoral coordinator at the Colegio Eucarístico de La Plata, recounted that she traveled with her children two days earlier “to get a feel for the preparations, the energy of the people, and the rehearsals,” with a very specific hope: that the children would be able to see the Pope and receive his blessing. Their wish came true: “We arrived very early and had the GRACE of experiencing the Holy Mass for Families with Pope León.” It was a wonderful experience; his message was so profound that my family and I were moved to tears. We received Holy Communion and the papal blessing. “We are grateful for this grace we have received.”
Another family—Pili Massa’s—also experienced that Mass, though from a distance. Pili is a former student of the Colegio Eucarístico de La Plata, and together with her boyfriend, Julián Ornella—also a former student—she shares with us what they’ve taken away from these past few days. She recalls a story that goes back a long way: Experiencing this moment as a family had special meaning. Our grandmother always told us about the immense joy she felt at having been able to attend St. John Paul II’s visit; and nearly forty years later, having witnessed these days fills us with joy. For her, the gathering was historic because it brought the Church community together in a way it hadn’t been in a long time. And from the Pope’s message to families, she takes away the simple truth: He didn’t call us to make grand gestures, but to reaffirm our faith in Jesus through small actions that speak of Him. Although they saw him pass by from a distance, they are convinced that being there made all the difference. It is always refreshing to step outside one’s everyday community to see and feel just how vast the Church is.
Julián, for his part, emphasizes the family as the foundation of society: “Among the teachings the Holy Father left us, I consider his remarks on the fundamental role of the family in society—that institution which young people are so afraid to join—to be essential. As a young Catholic, I long with all my heart to start a family, “But I recognize that in today’s society this is not the norm, although I hope it will be.” He also speaks of the vigil with young people, with more than a million people gathered to see the successor of Peter, and concludes: “The Argentine Church is standing, singing, and moving forward.”
Serving Pilgrims: The Joy of Volunteering
Behind every celebration were hundreds of young people who served quietly. Among them were several members of FI Youth.
Monse Lascano thought she would have to experience it from the sidelines: “I thought I would have to live it out through humble service, in some remote place, but God, once again, was generous with me and granted me the grace to be close to the Pope and even to greet him.”For her, it was a way of revisiting her experience at the Youth Jubilee in Rome and the journey of Mother Candida: “This experience allowed me to relive and give new meaning to what I experienced at the Youth Jubilee in Rome and to the journey of Mother Candida, who taught us, through her own life, that love is made real through service, generous self-giving, and commitment to others.”
Jero, a former student and young FI volunteer at Mater, recalls days of hard work, little rest, and plenty of sunshine, as well as the doubts he had about whether he could handle it all. But he felt that God was with him:“It made me very happy to be able to serve the pilgrims, to see the gratitude of so many people, and to encounter God in each one of them. And there was a reward, too: Being able to see Pope Leo XIV up close and receive his blessing was a beautiful experience.” In Luján, he had a brief meeting with the Pope, during which the volunteers were thanked for their service, and he was able to pray before the Virgin Mary up close in the Basilica. He returned with a heart full of gratitude:“I am very grateful to God for giving me this opportunity to serve, to encounter Him in others, and to represent FI Youth from the place I was assigned.”
That gathering in Luján also left a lasting impression on Agus Conci, from Mater, a volunteer in Córdoba, who at first couldn’t fully grasp the significance of the visit—until her excitement grew with each preparatory meeting. She recalls the sense of fellowship within her group:“Although we were of very different ages and backgrounds, we were all clear that our service was for the pilgrims, and we wanted to offer them the best as we welcomed them. And the finale was a gift: I am eternally grateful to God for being able to conclude my volunteer service by traveling to Luján alongside hundreds of people from Córdoba, with “the blessing of the Holy Father’s visit; with great generosity, he chose to meet with the volunteers and personally thank us for our service over the past few days”
Julia, from CAPU, sums it up in a few words, with an image that stays with you:“It was an immense blessing from God to have welcomed the Holy Father to our land. It was beautiful to see the people serving the people.”
Córdoba: Vigil, Adoration, and Mass
The night before the Mass in Córdoba, many young people stayed for the vigil. A young woman from Mater says they arrived at FAdeA at 1:00 a.m., along with her mom and two friends from school, Clara and Vicky. They were cold, the wind kept them from sleeping, and there were plenty of discomforts, but nothing could dampen their joy: “We took part in a worship service that I can say was one of the most beautiful of my life. The live music was excellent, but what moved me the most was looking around and seeing so many people who, despite our exhaustion, were all kneeling, talking to Jesus.”
The next day, under the blazing sun and feeling exhausted, the Pope spoke to their hearts:“The Pope reminded us that Córdoba is a land of saints, and he also spoke to us about the call to holiness that we all have—a path that is undoubtedly worth taking.”
Another young person from Mater (Córdoba) spent the vigil amid laughter, friends, and the cold, and discovered something he hadn’t expected:“I really liked it because I had moments to talk about things I might not otherwise have had the chance to discuss with some of them, and that helped lift a weight off my shoulders. He took away the moments they shared and a reflection from the group: ‘Seeing the Pope helped us continue learning to look with our hearts.’”
Flor, from CAPU, saw the visit as a personal invitation:“It was a concrete invitation to open my heart to Jesus, and a call to holiness in the midst of everyday life—an invitation to continue listening to Him and to live out the vocation given to me through baptism.”
And there were those who offered their music to enhance the celebration. Isa Rodríguez, an Ignatian layperson, teacher, and singer in the Córdoba Eucharistic Choir, shared a song she had written herself and, as a teacher, accompanied the children’s choir. “I am left with a deep sense of gratitude, immense joy, and great peace. I never imagined that God was preparing me to experience something like this.”
Young people with a thirst for something greater
Amid such a large crowd, the young people made it clear that they are not lost. Milagros (Mili), who served as a volunteer, feels that the visit is an encounter with the richness of the Church—a great family where no one is a stranger because we share the same faith:“For me, it means unity and hope for our youth. It’s about making it clear once again that we young people aren’t lost, that we have a thirst for something greater, a desire that nothing in this world can fully satisfy, because our hearts are as big as Christ’s.”
Lourdes (Luli) expresses this through the everyday reality of her faith:“For me, being a young Catholic woman means discovering every day that Jesus loves me, calls me, and walks with me. In prayer, in mission, in service, and in every encounter with others, I’m discovering that it’s worth giving my life to Him. I don’t have all the answers, but one thing is clear to me: I want to keep falling in love with Jesus and let Him guide my steps.”
And Ling, from FI Youth, offers a perspective rooted in her own story:“I was a rebellious young woman, but I had God’s guidance in my life. Growing up in the church community healed my rebelliousness. I learned that God’s commandments do not restrict us, but rather protect us deeply. True freedom exists within the boundaries of love, because that is where it issafe.”
“Wherever there is a Daughter of Jesus, that is where we all are”
The Daughters of Jesus also lived these days with great intensity. Norma Granzoto, fi, participated in Córdoba in the Pope’s meeting with priests, religious sisters, religious brothers, and seminarians. For her, it was a time of grace for the entire Argentine people—a source of comfort amid so many difficult situations—with people of all generations and from every corner of the country united in an atmosphere of joy and peace. Among the things that touched her most, she highlights some of the Pope’s words: “Hunger and injustice are pressing issues that demand a response,” he said, adding that the Church must provide that response without neglecting the spiritual needs of those who are suffering. Also, the invitation to nurture one’s vocation, remembering that before any responsibility, ministry, or task, there was a call, and that everything must continue to spring from that first “yes.” And regarding perseverance: The Pope noted that there are stages in priestly and consecrated life in which “simply remaining in that state is already a very concrete form of self-giving.”.
The Mother Cándida Community in La Plata followed the visit with devotion on television, because the health of some of the sisters prevented them from attending each event. On November 11, the Pope’s last day in Argentina, Sister Antonia Sotelo was able to be at the shrine in Luján with the Our Lady of the Valley Parish. There, the words of Saint Candida came to her heart: “How good God is—how much He loves us!”. She felt she was not alone, because she was accompanied by the sisters who were following the Mass on television, the entire Congregation, the families, and the ministries. And she took up a spiritual journey: to live in reconciliation, to allow herself to be enlightened by the Word of God, to live in communion by sharing the Eucharistic bread, and to feel called to proclaim the living Jesus.
Nina, Daughter of Jesus, also traveled to Luján on behalf of all the sisters, and she describes it this way: “I am deeply grateful to the Lord for the gift of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to our country. On behalf of all the sisters, I was able to attend in person the final Mass, which was held at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. It was a Mass with special significance: the Pope was elected on May 8, the feast day of Our Lady of Luján. There were so many people that I couldn’t see him up close, but I experienced it with my heart filled with faces and names.” I mentioned our Superior General, Graciela Francovig, and the entire Congregation. And she offered a summary that could apply to all of us: The Lord continues to remind us, through the Pope, to keep Jesus at the center of our hearts. To the living Jesus, present among us, who continues to choose us to collaborate with him so that his message of love may reach “everyone, everything, everyone.”
Thank you, León
From Buenos Aires to Córdoba, from La Plata to Luján, from those who stood in the front row to those who prayed in front of a screen, the Madre Cándida family experienced Pope Leo XIV’s visit as a gift from God. A gift that, as these testimonies tell us, invites us to put Jesus at the center, to serve with joy, and to walk together as a pilgrim people.
