Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, recently led a pilgrimage to Ta’ Pinu sanctuary.

Accompanying Cardinal Vallini were four auxiliary bishops – Mgrs Guerino De Tora, Benedetto Tuzia, Matteo Maria Zuppi and Lorenzo Leuzzi – and 150 priests from the diocese of Rome.

The group was welcomed by Gozo Bishop Mario Grech andthe sanctuary rector Fr Gerard Buhagiar.

Cardinal Vallini led a concelebrated Mass. In his homily he said it was a great pleasure to be united as one family in the Marian sanctuary of Ta’ Pinu.

Cardinal Vallini said that today more than in the past we were living in a secularised world but this should not put off priests from doing their work.

Like the Virgin Mary, with humility and love, the priest was called to bring the good news of Christ to everybody.

After Mass, Mgr Grech presented a silver icon of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu to Cardinal Vallini who in return presented a medal of Pope John Paul II to Mgr Grech.

Cardinal Vallini praised the work that various Gozitan priests were performing in Rome and thanked the Gozo diocese for being of such sterling service to the Church.

There are currently 12 Gozitan priests working or studying in Rome, one of them being a parish priest.