JOHN PAUL II, PRIESTS FROM DIOCESE OF AOSTA CELEBRATE MASS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 22, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, the last day of his vacation in the mountains of Les Combes in northern Italy, Pope John Paul celebrated Mass with Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi and priests from the diocese of Aosta. The Holy Father is scheduled to return to Rome this evening and to go directly to the papal residence at Castelgandolfo.

In his homily, observing that today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, the Holy Father remarked that she "followed to Calvary the One Who had healed her. She was present at the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. Together with His holy Mother and the beloved disciple (John), she was there for His last breath and the tacit witness of the pierced side; she understood that in that death, in that sacrifice, she would find her salvation."

"Mary Magdalene," the Pope went on, "thus teaches us that the roots of our vocation as apostles are engulfed in Christ's personal experience. ... This teaching of life is - with special eloquence - for us, the pastors of the Church, called to guide the People of God with the Word, but above all with the witness of our lives."

"Dear brothers in the priesthood," said John Paul II, "I hope that each of you always keeps alive your communion with Christ. May you be driven in your apostolate by His love, not only on the great occasions, but above all in the very ordinary ones, life's everyday events. May intimate union with God ... move each priest to fulfill with faith and charity his pastoral ministry."

HML;PRIESTS;...;AOSTA; ANFOSSI;VIS;20000724;Word: 270;