Ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit to the Maison Bakhita on 26 September, Vatican News presents three Parisian solidarity groups that live alongside the poor and marginalized: "Aux captifs, la libération", founded in 1981 by Fr Patrick Giros, which with 400 volunteers and over 80 professionals across 15 sites holds more than 70,000 encounters a year with homeless people; "Lazare", which organizes shared housing between homeless people and young workers; and "Le Rocher", which builds social bonds through "women's cafés" and "philosophical cafés". The general director of "Aux captifs", Thierry Desjuzeur, sums up the shared spirit: "We are not called first of all to go to the poorest to do charity, but to be Church with them", echoing Pope Leo XIV's call to live "with and like" those in need.

On the eve of tomorrow's diocesan Assembly on 18 September at St John Lateran, the Cardinal Vicar Baldassare Reina, in an interview with Vatican News, stresses the importance of "strengthening the bond between the bishop and his Diocese" through the synodal journey undertaken in recent years, recalling that "we have made progress that needs to be reinforced". The Cardinal points to the main pastoral emergencies of the Diocese of Rome: weakening family bonds, youth distress and addictions, poverty (loneliness, lack of work and housing) and difficulties in proclaiming the faith, also noting the geographical imbalance whereby "most churches are concentrated in the centre, while most people are concentrated in the periphery". Tomorrow's Assembly will be attended by representatives of the Diocese's 334 parishes.

The Pope appoints as Bishop of Joliet in Illinois (United States) H.E. Msgr. Brendan John Cahill, transferring him from the see of Victoria in Texas; born in Coral Gables (Florida) in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1990, Msgr. Cahill was rector of Saint Mary's Seminary in Houston and vicar for clergy before being appointed Bishop of Victoria on 23 April 2015. Pope Leo XIV also confirms the election made by the General Chapter of the Olivetan Benedictine Congregation and appoints as Ordinary Abbot of the Territorial Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore Dom Antonio Bran Tecun, a monk of the same abbey; born in Villa Canales (Guatemala) on 25 June 1973, he made his solemn profession in 2000 and was ordained a priest on 8 June 2002, later serving as a teacher and director of the monastery's farm.