14
Aug 2026
Fri
Friday 14 August 2026 — Vigil of the Assumption · Message for migrants · Letter on the liturgy
🏡 Vigil of the Assumption
Vigil of the Assumption at Castel Gandolfo
📍 Apostolic Palace, Castel Gandolfo
On Friday, August 14, the vigil of the Solemnity of the Assumption, Pope Leo XIV spends the day at the summer residence of Castel Gandolfo in personal prayer and preparation for the Holy Mass and Angelus scheduled the following day in Piazza della Libertà. No public audiences are planned. The Church commemorates St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, the Conventual Franciscan priest who died in the starvation bunker at Auschwitz on August 14, 1941, after volunteering to take the place of a father of a family condemned to death.
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📋 Daily schedule
14
Aug
📖 Gospel of the day
Gospel and word of the day
The daily reflection on the Gospel of the day was published, on the eve of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today's bulletin published Pope Leo XIV's Message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, to be celebrated on September 27, 2026, titled "Even one of these little ones" (Mt 18:10). The Pope focuses on the vulnerability of migrant children, forced to flee war, poverty and violence and exposed to extreme dangers along migration routes, including death, trafficking, exploitation and family separation. Recalling the words of Matthew's Gospel, "whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me," the Pope calls on the faithful and Christian communities to turn welcome from an abstract concept into a lasting practice of integration and solidarity, and asks civil institutions to shift their focus from managing migration flows to the full protection of the human rights and dignity of every child and adolescent.
Today's bulletin published a Letter from Pope Leo XIV, dated June 29, 2026, addressed to Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, on the occasion of the liturgical conference at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon (United States). The Pope reaffirms that liturgical formation "is not a specialization for a few experts" but concerns the whole People of God, echoing the teaching of Pope Francis, and stresses the role of priests as guides ("mystagogues") who accompany the faithful in understanding the sacred mysteries. He points to the Sunday Eucharistic celebration, rooted in the annual liturgical cycle and the Paschal Mystery, as the principal formative occasion, and insists on fidelity to the rites promulgated by the Church, to be lived with humility and ecclesial communion, so that Catholics may live "for the liturgy and through the liturgy".
🗓️ Upcoming events
2026-08-15
⛪ Assumption — Mass and Angelus at Castel Gandolfo
Holy Mass at the pontifical parish and Angelus in Piazza della Libertà for the Solemnity of the Assumption.
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2026-08-16
🙏 Angelus at Castel Gandolfo
Final Angelus of this summer stay from Piazza della Libertà, ahead of the return to the Vatican in the following days.
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2026-08-19
🤝 General audience and resumption of activities in the Vatican
The Wednesday general audiences resume in St. Peter's Basilica, at the end of the mid-August stay at Castel Gandolfo.
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2026-08-22
🏛️ Visit to San Marino and the Rimini Meeting
State visit to the Republic of San Marino, then visit to the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples and Holy Mass for the Diocese of Rimini.
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2026-08-29
⛵ Mass and procession at Castel Gandolfo for Our Lady of the Lake
Holy Mass at the Church of Mary Most Holy of the Lake and procession, for the traditional Marian feast at the end of August.
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2026-09-05
🌿 First anniversary of Borgo Laudato Si'
The first anniversary of the inauguration of the center for the care of creation at Castel Gandolfo, opened by Pope Leo XIV on September 5, 2025.
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2026-09-07
🕯️ Mass in Genazzano for the eve of the Nativity of Mary
The Pope celebrates Holy Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel, on the eve of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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2026-09-14
📚 Inauguration of the "Catastrophe and Wonder" exhibition at the Vatican Library
The Pope visits the Vatican Apostolic Library and inaugurates the series of exhibitions "Catastrophe and Wonder".
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2026-09-25
✈️ Departure for the apostolic journey to France
From September 25 to 28 the Pope visits Paris (Élysée, UNESCO, Notre-Dame), Lourdes and Metz.
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2026-10-07
📖 Meeting on the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia
Meeting in the Vatican (October 7-14) convened by the Pope with the heads of the Eastern Churches, the presidents of Bishops' Conferences and some families.
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2026-10-27
🕊️ Assisi for the 40th anniversary of the Spirit of Assisi
Interreligious meeting in Assisi on the 40th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace called by John Paul II.
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2026-11-06
✈️ Departure for the apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru
From November 6 to 17 the Pope visits Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Lima, with a special stop in Chiclayo, his former diocese.
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🔗 Official sources
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Bollettino Sala Stampa
press.vatican.va
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Vatican News
vaticannews.va
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Calendario 2026
vatican.va
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Vatican Media Foto
photo.vaticanmedia.va
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Video e dirette
YouTube · Vatican News IT
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Osservatore Romano
osservatoreromano.va