The Pope is scheduled to visit the parish on Sunday 15 February.
Entrusted to the Pallottine Fathers (Society of the Catholic Apostolate), the parish is located at Piazza Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia Lido, a large neighborhood of southwest Rome by the sea.
Pope Leo XIV will arrive at 4:00 p.m., beginning his visit with a meeting with approximately 400 children and young people from the catechetical program, who will welcome him on the yard behind the church.
He will then greet another 400 members of the community gathered in the parish gymnasium, including the elderly, the sick, the poor, and volunteers from Caritas, the Church’s local charitable organization.
The Vicariate of Rome provided details of the pastoral visit, noting that it will culminate at 5:00 p.m. when the Pope will preside over Holy Mass. Concelebrating with him will be Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina; Bishop Renato Tarantelli Baccari the Southern Sector and Vice-Regent of the Diocese of Rome; and the parish priest, Father Giovanni Vincenzo Patanè. Several parish priests from Ostia, the chaplain of Italy's Guardia di Finanza, and other local clergy will also be present.
After the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope will meet with the parish pastoral council before greeting the faithful gathered outside, who will follow the Mass on a large screen set up for the occasion.
Father Patanè noted in the Vicarate of Rome's press release the symbolic importance of the Pope’s choice. The parish is dedicated to Mary, Queen of Peace, a title that resonates strongly with Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on what he has described as “an unarmed and disarming peace” since the beginning of his pontificate.
The parish priest also highlighted Ostia’s unique spiritual heritage: although part of the Diocese of Rome, it has its own patron saint, Saint Augustine, who holds particular significance for Pope Leo, himself an Augustinian.
The announcement of the papal visit has generated great anticipation throughout the parish community.
To ensure fairness, tickets for attendance were distributed by lottery. Parishioners see the visit not only as a great honor but also as an opportunity for renewal and preparation.
As Father Patanè remarked with a touch of humor, it has even provided a welcome reason to tidy up and make improvements.
Above all, the community views the visit as a pastoral gesture of closeness.
“He is the Pope,” Father Patanè says, “but for us he is first and foremost our bishop, the shepherd who comes to visit his Church.”