On the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, the U.S.-based organization Cross Catholic Outreach will take the popemobile on a cross-country tour this summer that will raise awareness for children whose lives have been torn apart by armed conflicts.
Vatican News reported that Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, gave the popemobile keys to Cross Catholic Outreach President Michele Sagarino on April 28.
“Charity, the backbone of Christian life, must not remain theoretical, but must be expressed in action, which becomes service,” the archbishop stated.
On April 29, after Pope Leo XIV’s General Audience, Sagarino greeted the Pontiff and explained the work of her charity, marking the beginning of the “American Catholic Heroes: The Road Trip for Hope.”
The 3,700-mile road trip from New York to California was an initiative of Pope Francis, Vatican News reported. In addition to raising awareness and creating opportunities for prayer, Cross Catholic Outreach will organize, promote, and manage a major charity auction in the U.S., donating the proceeds to the Dicastery for the Service of Charity.
Cross Catholic Outreach was founded 25 years ago and serves more than 30 countries.
“I am grateful to Cross Catholic Outreach,” Archbishop San Martín stated, “which has long collaborated with the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, supporting it generously.”