Pope Francis met with the Little Sisters of the Poor — nuns who have been in a long battle over an Obamacare contraception mandate — at their home across the street from Catholic University after he celebrated Mass on Wednesday. The pope’s visit to the Little Sisters was a sign of support for them in their legal battle, Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, told reporters.

The Little Sisters of the Poor, which operates homes for the elderly in cities across the country, has been in a battle with the Obama administration over the law’s requirement that they allow their insurers to offer free contraception coverage to employees. The Becket Fund senior counsel Mark Rienzi, lead attorney for the Little Sisters, who spoke with one of the nuns after the meeting, said the pope was at their home for about 15 minutes and shook hands and spoke with each one of them in their chapel.

The pope visited the White House on Wednesday morning calling for strong protections for religious liberty. During his meeting with the sisters, Francis told them how important their ministry is and how ministry to the elderly is often overlooked, Rienzi said. The nun he spoke with said she did not hear the pope bring up the lawsuit during his brief visit.