Bishops Leahy and Murray led a group of pilgrims from the diocese to Rome
Pope Francis has urged the people of Limerick diocese to pray for him.
The Pontiff made his request as he greeted Bishop Brendan Leahy and Bishop Emeritus Donal Murray during his audience in St Peter’s Square last week.
Bishops Leahy and Murray were leading a 35-strong group of pilgrims from the diocese who travelled to Rome to mark the feast-day of St John Paul II.
During their brief meeting with the Pope, the bishops presented him with ‘The Diocese of Limerick – An Illustrated History’ which was published late last year, as well as a copy of Bishop Leahy’s recent pastoral letter announcing a Synod for Limerick.
Speaking after the meeting, Bishop Leahy said that Pope Francis had a “remarkable aura of spirituality and humility”.
“He just lifted his eyes to us and said ‘pray for me’. I felt it was like a message to the whole diocese and so I would ask the people of Limerick to please do as Pope Francis asks and pray for him.”