Isbella Diaz
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) The pope’s noted stops while in the District may be the Basilica and the White House, but the Little Sisters of the Poor in D.C. were also treated to a surprise visit from Pope Francis.
Early in the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 23, The Little Sisters of the Poor at the Jeanne Jugan Residence were given word by the Papal Nuncio that the pope would be visiting the sisters that afternoon.
About 30 sisters went down to the Basilica of the National Shrine for the canonization Mass. About 2:30 p.m., the sisters were instructed to leave the Mass by a member of the pope’s planning committee and go home across the street.
The nuns watched the Mass from T.V. and waited for Pope Francis’ arrival.
“We were told he would only have about five minutes, but in the end, I think he stayed more like 15 or 20 minutes,” said Sr. Constance, Communications Director for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the U.S.
The pontiff came into the sisters chapel as they all stood around in a circle.
“It was very informal…he came in and greeted each one of us. It was just the sisters,” said Sr. Constance.
Pope Francis then went into the center of the circle and spoke to the sisters about their ministry when it came to caring for the elderly.
“He loves the elderly. He was very close to his grandmother growing up,” explained Sr. Constance.
“He spoke about how older people are the memory of the Church, and the memory in society, and how necessary it is not to marginalize them or disregard them…and yet, how are society tends to do that.”
The sisters then sang to the pope before he left for the night.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, the spokesperson for the Vatican, said at a press briefing later that evening that the reason the pontiff wanted to visit the Little Sisters was to lend his moral support in their fight against the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.
However, Pope Francis did not talk to the Little Sisters about religious freedom or their case during his visit.
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