By Constanza Morales
Special to The Texas Catholic
Father Paolo Capra described the moment as fleeting but profoundly significant. On Nov. 28, he was standing at the door of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul with a brick in his hands. Then, Pope Leo XIV emerged and blessed the piece.
“It was joyful, solemn, and emotional,” shared Father Capra, pastor of Augustine Catholic Parish in southeast Dallas.
The eventful meeting occurred on the second day of the Holy Father’s first apostolic visit to Turkey and Lebanon. With the blessing, Father Capra said he remains hopeful about a dream of building a new sanctuary, a dream which his parish community has maintained for the last 15 years.
“I have asked everyone to pray for our project,” Father Capra said about the potential building of a new church with capacity to accommodate 1,000 people in the pews.
The brick blessed by Pope Leo serves as a symbolic first stone for a proposed new church that Father Capra said has been a dream his predecessors started and he leads now.
St. Augustine Catholic Parish, located in the Pleasant Grove area, serves a large immigrant community. Father Capra explained attendance is about 5,000 people total for the seven Masses celebrated on Sunday.
“Our community has grown rapidly, and our space has become too small,” the priest said, adding that oftentimes parishioners attend Mass standing in the narthex and outdoor areas.
He explained that previous pastors began acquiring land in adjacent areas to alleviate the scarce space available for parking. The St. Augustine pastor said the goal now is to secure more support to move forward with construction of a new church.
Divine providence
Father Capra made a pilgrimage to Europe at the end of November to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in the Diocese of Dallas.
“We didn’t know that the pope’s trip would coincide with ours, but when we found out, we extended our itinerary by three more days and added Asia, being hopeful,” he said.
Father Luca Simbula, rector of Redemptoris Mater Seminary, and more than 15 priests from Dallas belonging to the Neocatechumenal Way joined Father Capra on the pilgrimage trip.
Father Capra said the group walked about 15 minutes from their hotel in Istanbul to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Nov. 28, where Pope Leo XIV was expected.
“We were divided and stationed on both sides of the door,” Father Capra recalled. In a moment he described as “fleeting but very intense,” voices began to shout “Long live the pope!” and as he held the brick in his hands, Father Capra saw Pope Leo XIV approaching.
“It was an unforgettable moment,” he said. “The Holy Father’s act gave us encouragement. I hope it helps our project.”
Father Roshan Fernandes, pastor of Nuestra Señora del Pilar Catholic Church, also brought home a gift from the Holy Father for his parishioners in Dallas.
Pope Leo XIV signed a banner that Father Fernandes took to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, with the new logo of the Nuestra Señora del Pilar community.
“This was the third time I brought it on a pilgrimage, and I wasn’t sure if it would receive the Holy Father’s blessing, but with perseverance and faith, God grants our wishes,” Father Fernandes said. “It is a great gift for me and my parish.”
Father Simbula told Vatican News that meeting the Holy Father was a great blessing.
“It is a great gift that he comes precisely at this moment and to this land, which is truly the Holy Land,” Father Simbula said. “There are so many roots in our Christian faith here.”
Father Simbula added that he felt close to Pope Leo XIV, since, being American, he understands the reality facing U.S. churches. He also noted that the pope is a missionary, which is part of the charism of the priests of the Neocatechumenal Way.
A version of this story also appears in Revista Catolica Dallas, the official Spanish-language magazine of the Diocese of Dallas.
Cutline for featured image: Pope Leo XIV greets priests from the Catholic Diocese of Dallas at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul, Turkey, Nov. 29. The group of priests arrived after a two-week pilgrimage to meet the pope during his apostolic visit to the country. The encounter took place during a gathering with Turkey’s Catholic bishops, clergy, religious, deacons, and pastoral workers. (LOLA GOMEZ/Catholic News Service)
