One participant said afterwards Francis told them "the Church welcomes and embraces us."

"Pope Francis was well known in Buenos Aires for being among the people," said Dew in his post.

"He has found many ways to continue the encounter with people that is at the heart of his spirituality and his approach to being Pope."

"The people who might feel they are 'on the peripheries' of the Church are very dear to him and he actively creates opportunities to meet with them."

Isabel Díaz, who took part in the meeting, said Pope Francis told them that, with their experience, they can help others who are separated and divorced live through their suffering, and "above all, he underlined repeatedly that the Church welcomes and embraces us."

""It gave me the feeling that we were meeting with the "Santa Teresa" group, in the parish of San Juan de la Cruz in Toledo, all in a circle."

"The only difference was the pope was with us. A generous pope, humble and at the same time affectionate. A pope then that made you want to hug him. I have the desire to hug him." Díaz said.

The 95 minute private audience would likely have gone unnoticed, if it wasn't for the fact that the diocese sponsoring the trip wrote about it on its website.

Last April, the Archbishop of the Spanish diocese of Toledo, Braulio Rodríguez, handed Francis a letter.

It had been was written by women who participate in the "Santa Teresa" group, run by the Commission of Family and Life of the diocese.

After reading the letter, Francis invited them to Rome.

Source

• Facebook
• Rome Reports
• Crux
• Image: Crux

It all started when mechanic-turned-priest Father Matthew Keller gathered together a "Garage Gang" of classic car aficionados.

Between them, they restored a "muscle car", which they raffled in an online sweep.

Their 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport was in top form: they raised US$140,000 and the money was spent on seminary education.

After their success, Keller and the Garage Gang began restoring a 1969 Pontiac Firebird convertible.

Keller is personally refurbishing the 350 cubic-inch V-8 engine that's mated to a three-speed Hydra-Matic transmission.

They're hoping to get $100,000 from the $25 per ticket raffle for the car.

Whoever wins it will enjoy the car's original cream interior, new top, power steering and power brakes.

But there's more to the work than doing up cars and raising much-needed money.

The workshop has also become an unanticipated "rallying point for evangelization, and I just didn't see that coming," Keller says.

"There are some men that would come to the garage on the back side of the church that wouldn't necessarily come through the front doors," he explained, "and they're spending hours and hours."

Some have even asked him to hear their confessions in the workshop.

"And it's their way of contributing and being a part of something for God."

"It's that whole thing that Pope Francis is asking of us — to go to the periphery," he added.

Source

• Automobile
• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: