Archbishop Leo Visits Missionaries of Charity, St. Padre Pio Parish

His Grace, the Most Rev. Francis Leo, Archbishop of Toronto recently attended the Missionaries of Charity’s Mother Teresa Festival.

The Missionaries of Charity Sisters are a religious community founded by Mother Teresa (now St. Teresa of Calcutta) in 1950 in Calcutta, India. They are dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor, irrespective of social class, creed or colour.

The sisters selflessly serve those who are poor, unwanted, uncared for, outcasts abandoned, downtrodden, and the rejected – in the streets or wherever they may be found. They do this with cheerfulness, seeking no favours in return. The Missionaries of Charity serve the poor in approximately 120 countries around the world.

Archbishop Leo also recently traveled to St. Padre Pio parish in Kleinburg on the feast day of the parish’s patron saint. His Grace celebrated Mass and attended an outdoor party held after Mass.

St. Padre Pio was an Italian priest who was known for his piety and charity, as well as the gift of the stigmata, which has never been explained. He was born Francesco Forgione, on May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Italy. As a child, he was very religious and by the age of five he reportedly made the decision to dedicate his life to God. Pope John Paul II recognized Padre Pio as a saint on June 16, 2002. His feast day is September 23 and he is the patron of civil defense volunteers, adolescents, and the village of Pietrelcina.

Photos from the Missionaries of Charity

Photos from St. Padre Pio