Well, it is not really Catholic travel news, but it will be of interest to college basketball fans..especially Catholics.
Inspired by the recent election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born Pope and a Villanova graduate, student-athletes from some of the United States’ top Catholic universities will travel to Rome and Vatican City for a one-of-a-kind international experience to begin their college hoops season – with a planned audience with Pope Leo XIV set to take place ahead of the game.
Earlier this year in connection with the start of the Winter Olympics in Italy, Pope Leo released a letter titled "Life in Abundance" on the value of sport, in which he wrote,
"When people fully embrace the challenges and joys of sport, they learn the value of trust, sacrifice and shared purpose. Competition can coexist with compassion; the field of play can become common ground. At its best, sport becomes a powerful instrument to strengthen the bonds that unite us."