ROME (WLS) — On Thursday, some of the Chicago Catholic school students who traveled to Italy to meet Pope Leo XIV will serve Mass alongside Cardinal Blase Cupich.

Thursday night’s special Mass will be held at the Basilica di San Bartolomeo all’Isola Tiberina, or the Church of St. Bartholomew on the Island in Rome.

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It’s Cupich’s titular church, or the church assigned to him as a cardinal.

A titular church symbolizes a cardinal’s connection to the pope and the Church of Rome.

It’s a tradition that dates back to the early days of the Catholic Church.

St. Bartholomew was founded in the 10th century by the holy Roman emperor.

It’s located on the Tiber River.

Thursday’s Mass will be held for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, a national trade union center that includes the Chicago Federation of Labor.

The timing comes as Pope Leo XIV issued a pastoral letter about work and social justice. It was his first pastoral letter.

It’s also part of Cupich’s celebration of 50 years in the priesthood

In August, the archbishop of Chicago celebrated half a century of Catholic ministry in Chicago at Holy Name Cathedral.

That celebration now continues in Rome, with some familiar hometown faces joining him.

The beloved students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy in Lakeview will be altar servers at the Mass.

The Chicago Federation of Labor and the students are just some of the many Chicago groups that will be represented at the celebration Mass.

Different Chicago organizations have made their way to Rome this week.

The Mass is serving as a tie to all those groups.