POMPEII — Pope Leo XIV traveled by helicopter to Pompeii on Friday for a daylong visit marking the May 8 feast of Our Lady of Pompeii and the first anniversary of his election as pope. The pontiff prayed at the sanctuary near Naples, beginning his visit by meeting with sick and disabled people cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary.

"What a beautiful day, how many blessings the Lord wanted to give to all of us," Leo said inside the sanctuary before Mass. "I feel I am the first blessed to be able to come here to the sanctuary of the Madonna on the day of her feast and on this anniversary."

The May 8 feast marks the day in 1876 when the cornerstone was laid for a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Pompeii. The sanctuary, declared a pontifical basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1901, sits near the excavations of the ancient city buried in A.D. 79 by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The archaeological site draws millions of tourists each year, while the sanctuary attracts Catholic pilgrims devoted to praying the rosary.

The visit began a series of day trips Leo will be making over the coming weeks up and down the Italian peninsula to get to know the Italian church, of which he is the symbolic head as bishop of Rome. Formerly known as Robert Prevost, he is the first U.S.-born pope.

The sanctuary is closely associated with St. Bartolo Longo, who founded the basilica and is venerated in Italy for his charitable works for orphans, prisoners and other marginalized people. In his opening remarks, Leo described Longo arriving in the Pompeii valley to find a land plagued by great poverty, inhabited by very poor farmers and ravaged by malaria and bandits, yet able to see the face of Christ in everyone, especially in orphans and the children of prisoners. Pope Francis approved the miracle necessary for Longo's canonization from his hospital room a few weeks before he died, and Leo canonized Longo in October.

Throngs of cheering Italians met the pope in Pompeii, some having waited since the middle of the night to greet him. "He doesn't let anyone intimidate him. Look at the recent issues with Trump," said Rita Borriello of Torre del Greco. "Trump criticized him, but Leo simply answered, 'I preach the Gospel'. I see him as a very humble pope, very close to us, a pope who entered in our hearts," she said.