Pope Makes Surprise Excursions to Holy Trinity Shrine and Benedictine Monasteries

Vatican, July 23, 2026: During a surprise outing on Wednesday morning, Pope Leo XIV travelled by car from Castel Gandolfo to the Shrine of the Holy Trinity in Vallepietra before continuing to Subiaco, where he visited the Monastery of St Benedict and the Monastery of St Scholastica on his return journey to his summer residence.

According to Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV made the unexpected visit to the Shrine of the Holy Trinity in Vallepietra on Wednesday morning, 22 July 2026, before proceeding to Subiaco to visit the Monastery of St Benedict and the Monastery of St Scholastica.

Situated within the rock of Mount Autore, the Shrine of the Holy Trinity lies along the border between the central Italian regions of Lazio and Abruzzo.

A statement issued by the Holy See Press Office on Telegram said the Pope paused in prayer before the venerated fresco of the Holy Trinity inside the shrine and greeted both the faithful and members of the religious community.

Currently spending his summer break at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo travelled by car to the shrine, which stands at an altitude of more than 1,800 metres in the Monti Simbruini. The shrine is a well-known pilgrimage destination, drawing thousands of faithful who walk the mountain paths carrying banners during Pentecost and for the Feast of St Anne on 26 July.

Inside the cave are ancient frescoes, including a Byzantine image portraying the Holy Trinity as three identical figures of Christ. At the base of the steps leading out of the shrine is the Chapel of St Anne, hewn from the living rock.

Monastery of St Benedict

After visiting Vallepietra, Pope Leo XIV travelled to Subiaco, where he visited the Monastery of St Benedict.

While at the monastic complex, the Pope spent time in silent prayer before the 13th-century fresco of St Francis. In the Sacred Cave of St Benedict, he kissed the knee of the saint's statue in keeping with tradition before praying the Our Father together with those present.

For nearly a thousand years, the monastery and its Shrine of the Sacred Cave have been regarded as one of the foremost centres of Benedictine spirituality.

The cave is the place where the young St Benedict of Norcia lived as a hermit in the early sixth century, following the example of the Desert Fathers.

It was during this period of solitude in the wilderness that St Benedict's charism and spirituality matured, leading him to establish the first monastic communities and lay the foundations of Western monasticism.

The Pope then visited the Monastery of St Scholastica, where he shared lunch with the Benedictine community before touring the cloisters and the convent.

The Holy See Press Office stated that, when its statement was released, the Pope was travelling back to Castel Gandolfo.

The Pope's Wednesday visits came after his private visit on Monday, 20 July, to the Abbey of Montecassino, where he prayed for global peace.

Courtesy: Vatican News