Vatican priest visits Washington County on ‘Economy that Kills’ tour

JUL 13, 2026 | BY CONNER GOETZ

The Vatican’s social teachings were on full display during a weekend event at St. Oscar Romero Miraculous Medal Church in Meadow Lands.

The Rev. Mattia Ferrari, chaplain of the World Meeting of Popular Movements (WMPM), stopped in Washington on his month-long “An Economy That Kills” national tour to discuss the intersection of labor rights, environmental protection and Catholic doctrine.

More than 35 residents and regional labor leaders gathered for the event, which was organized by the Washington-Greene Central Labor Council and the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.

The WMPM is an initiative created by former Pope Francis that is designed to “create an ‘encounter’ between church leadership and grassroots organizations working to address the ‘economy of exclusion and inequality’ … by working for structural changes that promote social, economic and racial justice,” according to the organization’s website.