Students and staff at Holy Innocents School in Long Beach spent the first few days of February dealing with the ramifications of a heartbreaking desecration of their school hall and chapel, and less than two weeks later were shaking hands with Pope Leo XIV.
Holy Innocent’s nine-person senior class, four teachers, religious leaders and family were in Rome during the school’s annual pilgrimage for its senior class. On 11 February, the group got an unexpected audience with Pope Leo. The pontiff gave them his blessing – and prayers – following the vandalism of their school.
A life-size Virgin Mary statue that had been guarding the campus since its opening in 1958 was shattered, and a ruptured bronze tabernacle was thrown to the ground.
A benefactor who wanted to remain anonymous got the school in touch with Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo, a priest who worked in Rome but is now based in Assisi, Italy, and travels the world with the relics of newly canonised St Carlo Acutis.
Msgr. Figueiredo was able to arrange for the group to receive an audience with Pope Leo.
The vandalism at Holy Innocents was discovered early 2 February. The next morning, after intensive cleanup by staff, students and volunteers, Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Marc V. Trudeau celebrated a reparation Mass in the hall.
