Carolina Bellocq
In 1825, the so-called 33 Orientals, who would go on to help secure Uruguay’s independence, prayed before the statue of the Virgin Mary in Florida. Though the small statue had been linked to the country’s history even before then, today, she is the nation’s patroness, known as Our Lady of the Thirty-Three.
Pope Leo XIV wanted to make a pilgrimage to this site on the very day of her feast, and celebrate the closing Mass of his trip to Uruguay there.
In his homily, he spoke directly to those living in an increasingly secularized society. He recalled Uruguay’s blesseds and paid a special tribute to the women who have passed on the faith throughout the country’s history.
He thanked them and urged them not to lose hope when their efforts seem to bear no fruit. And he made a request:
LEO XIV
Mothers and grandmothers: never tire of passing on the faith! Preach with your lives as well as with your words. Insist on prayer, love, and hope; insist on them in season and out of season (cf. 2 Tim 4:2). Do so with patience, without harshness or discouragement. Even if your loved ones seem far from God, continue to place them before him. Do not stop blessing them, accompanying them, and simply reminding them of what they once received. There are doors that you cannot open, but God can.
He also spoke to men about their essential role in transmitting the faith.
LEO XIV
Your children and grandchildren need to see that the faith occupies a genuine place in the lives of the men in your family. Imitate Saint Joseph, who took on the task of raising Jesus, bringing him to the temple, teaching him to work honestly and showing him that God must come first in a person’s life. Dear fathers and grandfathers, young people need to see that you pray, receive the sacraments, treat your wives with respect, ask for forgiveness and live with integrity, even when doing so requires sacrifice
In a country where religion is seen as a private matter, Catholics risk becoming passive when it comes to proclaiming Jesus. That’s why the pope urged them to take action, following Mary, who “set out without delay.”
LEO XIV
We cannot always wait for those who have strayed to return on their own. People of Uruguay: you must set out on the journey! You must enter people’s homes once more, draw near to them, listen to their questions and bring them to Christ!
At the end of his homily, Pope Leo XIV repeated the gesture made by St. John Paul II during his previous visit, consecrating Uruguay to Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, captain and guide.
He then gave her the Golden Rose, symbolizing the call for Christians to love Christ as Mary loved him and bring him to others as she did.
