BORGO LAUDATO SI, THE (ALMOST) UNKNOWN JEWEL OF THE VATICAN
Borgo Laudato Si‘ – Laudato Si Village – is a center of integral ecology in the gardens of the Pontifical Villas of Castelgandolfo, commissioned by Pope Francis to put into practice the principles of his encyclical Laudato Si’ that promotes sustainability, training and inclusion through agricultural, educational and hospitality activities. The Vatican’s Jubilee website promoted visits, noting that the area of the Borgo Laudato Si’, which extends over 35 hectares of gardens and 20 hectares of agricultural land, is home to over 3,000 plants belonging to 300 different species, and offers an immersive experience in natural beauty.
I’ve been to Castelgandolfo on many occasions, visiting the papal palace that overlooks the main town square and strolling through the stunning papal gardens and amazing ruins of Emperor Domitian’s once-upon-a-time gigantic villa. I’ve done reports on “Vatican Insider” and posted many a story on these pages with some of the countless photos I’ve taken of this place that is a little slice of heaven. But Laudato Si Village is new to me and I can’t wait to get to know it as well as I know the other papal buildings. See for yourself: for an amazing tour and all the information you could wish, visit Borgo Laudato Si right now: https://www.laudatosi.va/
It will be great fun to visit because the director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education is Fr. Many Dorantes, a priest from Chicago whom I’ve known for a number of years and just yesterday, a priest I’ve known since 2013, French-Italian Fr. Stefano Cascio was named vice director! He has an extraordinary resume (Laudato si’ Center for Higher Education: Fr. Stefano Cascio Appointed Deputy Director for Administration – Centro Laudato Si) Laudato Si is in excellent hands – they’ll make a great team!
DID YOU KNOW THAT….
THE VATICAN GOVERNORATE RELEASED NEW APP DEDICATED TO ST. CARLO ACUTIS: The Vatican Governatorate releases a new app offering the contents of its official website in a quick and intuitive way, making it possible to consult news, announcements, and official communications. The new official app from the Governorate of the Vatican City State is dedicated to St. Carlo Acutis and his IT skills. The application offers the contents of the institutional informational website www.vaticanstate.va and has been designed to make access to information even easier, quicker, and more user-friendly on mobile devices. Vatican Governorate releases new app dedicated to St. Carlo Acutis – Vatican News
YOU CAN “PRAY WITH THE POPE”: A REAL NETWORK OF COMMUNION IN A DIVIDED WORLD: “Pray with the Pope” is a new initiative of the Dicastery for Communication and the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network that invites people around the world to share in a real communion of prayer with Pope Leo XIV, offering prayer as a path to unity in a divided world. From the Chapel of Saint Peregrine in the Vatican to the wider world, Pray with the Pope invites the faithful to share in a common moment of prayer with the Pope. The initiative was presented on Wednesday, 7 January, shortly before the release of the first video message in which Pope Leo XIV shared his prayer intention for January 2026. “Pray with the Pope” offers video and audio recordings (English. Italian and Spanish) of the Pope’s pray intentions, providing a more accessible and versatile way for the faithful; to join in prayer. “Pray with the Pope”: a real network of communion in a divided world – Vatican News
THE STORY BEHIND POPE LEO XIV’S NEW PAPAL STAFF: Last week during the Jan. 6 closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV used a new papal staff, or ferula, which is used by pontiffs in solemn ceremonies and represents their leadership as bishop of Rome and supreme pastor of the entire Church. According to the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Holy See, popes have traditionally received this insignia after their election, when they took possession of their see in St. John Lateran Basilica. The papal staff, used only by the pope and topped with a cross or a crucifix, is different from the bishop’s crozier — the shepherd’s staff — which ends in a curve and is used by bishops and archbishops. Pope Leo XIV debuts new papal staff | Catholic News Agency 
Joan's Rome 