Bookmark and Share

John Paul II's Pastoral Visits in Italy

On being announced the new pope, John Paul II said on 16th October 1978:
"Sia lodato Gesù Cristo. Carissimi fratelli e sorelle, siamo ancora tutti addolorati dopo la morte del nostro amatissimo Papa Giovanni Paolo I. Ed ecco che gli Eminentissimi Cardinali hanno chiamato un nuovo vescovo di Roma. Lo hanno chiamato da un paese lontano... lontano, ma sempre così vicino per la comunione nella fede e nella tradizione cristiana. Ho avuto paura nel ricevere questa nomina, ma l’ho fatto nello spirito dell’ubbidienza verso Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo e nella fiducia totale verso la sua Madre, la Madonna Santissima. Non so se posso bene spiegarmi nella vostra... nostra lingua italiana. Se mi sbaglio mi corrigerete. E così mi presento a voi tutti, per confessare la nostra fede comune, la nostra speranza, la nostra fiducia nella Madre di Cristo e della Chiesa, e anche per incominciare di nuovo su questa strada della storia e della Chiesa, con l’aiuto di Dio e con l’aiuto degli uomini." As Bishop of Rome, he took Rome ... and Italy to his heart. Along with his 104 apostolic voyages 'abroad', John Paul II made 146 pilgrim visits within Italy, as well as 748 visits within the Diocese of Rome or to Castel Gandolfo.

His pastoral visits are listed below (in date order) and include links to read his words. There is also a direct link to his words whenever he met with his 'Carissimi giovani'.

1979

Veneto
26th August - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

Loreto and Ancona - Shrine of Loreto
Our Lady's birthday, 8th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish - Carissimi giovani

Pompei and Naples - Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary
21st October - click here to read JPII's words in Italian & Portuguese

1980

Valnerina and Norcia
23rd March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish - Carissimi giovani

Turin - Shrine of Madonna Consolata
13th April - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish - ai Giovani

L'Aquila - Shrine of Our Lady of the Cross
30th August - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish - Carissimi giovani

Velletri and Frascati
7th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish - Carissimi giovani

Siena - for the inauguration of the parish of St Catherine, Doctor of the Church
14th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish - Carissimi giovani

Cassino 
20th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish - ai Giovanni

Subiaco - Grotto of Sacro Speco
28th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

Otranto
5th October - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish - Carissimi giovani

Potenza
25th November - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

1981

Terni
Feast of St Joseph, 19th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

Bergamo
26th April - click here to read JPII's words in Italian & Portuguese - ai Giovani

Collevalenza, Todi & Orvieto - Shrine of Merciful Love, Shrine of Collevalenza
22nd November - click here to read JPII's words in Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

1982

Assisi
12th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian & Portuguese

Livorno - Shrine of Montenero
Feast of St Joseph, 19th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian & Portuguese

Bologna & Emilia Romagna - Shrine of St Luke
18th April - click here to read JPII's words in Italian & Portuguese - Carissimi giovani

Rimini
29th August - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Fonte Avellana
5th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Padua
12th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Cari Giovani

Albano
19th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Brescia
26th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi Giovani

Palermo
20th - 21st November - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi

1983

Rieti & Greccio - Shrine of Greccio
2nd January - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Chieti
Feast of St Joseph, 19th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Lombardy - for conclusion of the 20th National Eucharistic Congress in Milan
20th - 22nd May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi Giovani

Palestrina
18th August - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

1984

Bari & Bitonto
26th February - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Viterbo - Shrine of Saint Rose
27th May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Fano
12th August - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Alatri
2nd September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Calabria
5th - 7th October - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Lombardy & Piedmont - Sanctuary of the Sacred Mount of Varese
2nd - 4th November, IV centenary of death of St Carlo Borromeo - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

1985

Fucino & Avezzano
24th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Loreto - Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto
11th April - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Salerno
Pentecost, 26th May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Veneto - Shrine of Our Lady of the Cendròle in Riese Pio X
15th - 17th June - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Cari giovanni

Abruzzo - Shrine of St Gabriel in Teramo
30th June - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovanni

Genoa - Shrine of Our Lady of the Guard
21st - 22nd September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi

Sardinia - Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria
18th - 20th October - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

1986

Prato
Feast of St Joseph, 19th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Romagna - Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte in Imola
8th - 11th May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Amatissimi giovani e Carissimi giovani

Valle d'Aosta
6th - 7th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Fiesole & Florence - Beatification of Theresa Maria of the Cross Manetti
18th - 19th October - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi amici giovani

Perugia & Assisi - for the World Day of Peace
26th - 27th October - click here to read JPII's words in Italian & English - Carissimi giovani

1987

Civitavecchia
Feast of St Joseph, 19th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Apulia - Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in San Severo, Marian Shrine of Valleverde de Bovino
23rd - 25th May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Diocese of Belluno-Feltre
Feast of St John Gualberto, 12th July - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

1988

Verona - Beatification of Giuseppe Nascimbeni & Giovanni Calabria, Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Crown in Val D'Adige
16th - 17th April - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani e Carissimi giovani

Civita Castellana - Sanctuary of Santa Maria ad Rupes, Castel Sant'Elia
Feast of St Joseph, the Artisan, 1st May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Emilia Romagna - Sanctuary of Madonna della Ghiara, Reggio
3rd - 7th June - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani e Carissimi giovani e ragazzi

Messina & Reggio Calabria - Canonization of Eustochia Calafato, Sanctuary of the Madonna di Tindari, closing of XXI National Eucharistic Congress
11th - 12th June - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Lombardy, Veneto, Trento - Marian Sanctuary of Pietralba
16th - 17th July - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Turin - Beatification of Laura Vicuña at Colle Don Bosco
2nd - 4th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Cari giovani e Carissimi giovani

Fermo & Porto San Giorgio
30th December - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

1989

Grosseto
21st May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Gaeta - Shrine of Our Lady of Civita, Itri
25th June - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Pisa, Volterra & Lucca
22nd - 24th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani, Carissimi giovani e Carissimi giovani

Taranto
28th - 29th October - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

1990

Ivrea
18th - 19th March, Feast of St Joseph - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Orvieto
17th June, Feast of Corpus Christi - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Benevento - Shrine of Our Lady of Graces
2nd July - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Ferrara - Comacchio
22nd - 23rd September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Genoa - Act of Entrustment to Our Lady of the Guardia
14th October - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Campania - Act of Entrustment to Mary, Scampia, Naples
9th - 13th November - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani e Carissimi giovani

1991

Camerino, S Severino & Fabriano, Matelica
18th - 19th March, Feast of St Joseph - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Basilicata - Act of Entrustment of the Community of Matera-Irsina to the Virgin Mary
27th - 28th April - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Mantua - Preghiera a San Luigi Gonzaga
22nd - 23rd June - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Vicenza - Shrine of Monte Berico
7th - 8th September, Our Lady's birthday - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Latina - Shrine of the home of St Maria Goretti
29th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

1992

Sorrento-Castellammare di Stabia
Feast of St Joseph, 19th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Shrine of Mary, Mother & Queen, Monte Grisa
30th April - 3rd May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi

Nola, Caserta & Capua
23rd - 24th May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Lombardy - Shrine of Nostra Signora del Fonte, Caravaggio, Act of Entrustment to Mary at the Shrine of Santa Maria della Croce, Crema, Beatification of Father Francesco Spinelli
19th - 21st June - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

1993

Assisi - Prayer Vigil for peace in Europe
9th - 10th January - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Sabina-Poggio Mirteto
Feast of St Joseph, 19th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Sicily
8th - 10th May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Cortona & Arezzo - Prayer before tomb of St Margaret of Cortona, Act of Entrustment to Our Lady of Cortona
23rd May - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - Carissimi giovani

Macerata, Foligno & the Gran Sasso massif - Prayer before tomb of Blessed Angela of Foligno
19th - 20th June - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

La Verna & Camaldoli - Franciscan Shrine of La Verna
17th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Asti - Beatification of Joseph Marello
25th - 26th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

1994

Lecce
17th - 18th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Catania & Syracuse - Beatification of Mother Maddalena Caterina Morano, Shrine of Our Lady of the Tears
4th - 6th November - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani e Carissimi amici

Loreto - Prayer at the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto
10th December - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

1995

Molise - Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, Castelpetroso
Feast of St Joseph, 19th March - click here to read JPII's words in Italian

Trent - Beatification of John Nepomuceno de Tschiderer
29th - 30th April - 450th anniversary of the Council of Trent - click here to read JPII's words in Italian & French - Carissimi giovani

Loreto - Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto
9th - 10th September - click here to read JPII's words in Italian - ai Giovani

Palermo - for the 3rd Ecclesial Convention
23rd November - click here to read JPII's words in Italian