For Rosa Bonilla, a Catholic pastoral assistant from Los Angeles, meeting Pope Leo XIV in Rome was a moment she will never forget. Her heart raced with emotion as she shook the Pope’s hand and thanked him for standing with migrants around the world.
Bonilla, who works at Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, joined the Jubilee of Migrants pilgrimage in Rome from October 1–8. An immigrant from El Salvador who came to the United States in 2001, she and her husband, Carlos, were part of a 100-person delegation from nearly 60 U.S. dioceses. The trip, organized by the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, aimed to honor and support migrants facing fear, displacement, and deportation.
During the pilgrimage, the group was surprised with a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. When asked what language they wanted to hear, the entire delegation joyfully replied, “Spanish.”
In his message, Pope Leo thanked the group for their dedication to helping migrant families and supporting them in their faith. “You are a living testimony of hope and compassion,” he said. “Your work shines light in a world that suffers from war, violence, and hatred. Thank you for all that you do.”
Bonilla said she could barely speak when she met the Pope, but she managed to express her gratitude and share a message from her parish. “I told him, ‘Holy Father, my little church in Los Angeles is praying for you. Thank you for walking with us immigrant families,’” she recalled tearfully.
When Bonilla and her family first arrived in the U.S., life was difficult. She had to learn a new language, raise her children, and adjust to life without her parents and siblings. But over the years, she found strength and belonging in her church community.
She began as a volunteer catechist and eventually became a pastoral assistant at Dolores Mission, where she continues to serve immigrant families. The pilgrimage and meeting with the Pope, she says, renewed her faith and passion for helping others.
“I feel more hopeful now,” Bonilla said. “I want to keep working with the community, reminding them that they are not alone. We are one Church, praying and working together for a better future.”