POPE LEO XIV
Archbishop urges all to pray daily for the new pope, Leo XIV
Habemus papam! We have a pope! I was surprised at how quickly the College of Cardinals discerned the one chosen to be the next successor of Peter.
I was even more surprised that the new pope was born in Chicago, attended a parochial school, was ordained an Augustinian priest, spent much of his priesthood in Peru as a missionary priest and eventually a bishop, also served many years in Rome as the general superior of the Augustinian order and, most recently, as the cardinal prefect for the Discastery for Bishops. Pope Leo XIV is the eighth pope during my lifetime and the first who is younger than me.
I was consoled when I learned that Pope Leo is a White Sox rather than a Cubs fan. As a native St. Louisan, it just would not have been right for Cardinals to elect a Cub.
The election of a new pope serves to remind us of the words we profess in the Nicene Creed: “I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.”
The pope is a symbol of the church’s unity, our oneness. All 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide look to the pope as our spiritual father. We all call him Holy Father.
The process of the selection of a new pope is unlike the choosing of leaders for other organizations. The entire process is bathed in prayer. First, we prayerfully mourned for several days the death of Pope Francis, followed by several more days of prayer by the entire church that the cardinals would allow themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Before the conclave, the cardinals take an oath of confidentiality. They are sheltered from media and other outside forces. During the conclave, red vestments, symbols of the Holy Spirit, are worn during the more
ARCHBISHOP
JOSEPH F. NAUMANN
than half million daily Masses celebrated in the world. The process is designed not to be political but rather prayerful and holy.
The church is catholic — universal.
The national and ethnic diversity of the College of Cardinals epitomized the universality of the church. Similarly, after the appearance of the white smoke, the couple hundred thousand faithful who filled St. Peter’s Square waving flags of diverse countries, served as a visual reminder that we have brothers and sisters in Christ on every continent of the world.
Most importantly, the selection of the pope was a powerful expression of the apostolic nature of the church. The fact that we can name every bishop of Rome from Peter to Pope Leo XIV makes clear that the authority of the pope, as the Prince of the Apostles, goes back to Our Lord’s designation of Peter as the rock upon which he built the church.
Every Catholic bishop is a successor of the apostles. I cannot tell you of which of the other 11 apostles I am a successor. The church was not as meticulous in its recordkeeping with the other apostles as it was with Peter. I can tell you my lineage goes back through St. John Paul II.
Peter and the other apostles were not the best and brightest. They were not welleducated. They were not wealthy. They were not influential in Jewish society. St. Paul,
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS
who became an apostle himself, described the apostles as not powerful, not of nobility, not learned, not considered important or influential. Paul asserted that God chose the foolish to shame the wise; the weak to shame the strong; the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who in the world’s eyes count for something.
The Bible is precious to all Christians. It is a book where God used human authors to reveal himself to us, as well as reveal to us our true identity as beloved daughters and sons of God. As Catholics, we should read the Bible and pray over the Bible every day.
Yet, it is important to know that Jesus did not give the apostles copies of the New Testament. The books of the New Testament were written during the first century after the Lord’s death and resurrection. It was not until the 300s that the New Testament, as we know it, was approved by a council of bishops.
Through most of Christian history, the vast majority of Christians could not read the Bible because they were illiterate. Even for those who were literate, copies of the Bible were very rare until the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. Thus, the Bible cannot be the sole means where we find the truths of Christianity.
What Jesus did give the first Christians was the apostles. The apostles did not have money, programs and buildings. They did not have the printing press, much less the
internet to spread the faith. Nor did they have trains, planes and automobiles to travel the world. Our Lord had given them an impossible mission — to make disciples of the entire world. What the apostles did have was their own experience of Jesus. They testified to what they had seen and heard.
Remarkably, they spread the Christian Gospel in one direction as far as India and in the other direction as far as Spain. Even while under harsh persecutions, the apostles established a network of churches in many cities and towns. When they moved on to the next town, they appointed a man to lead the Christian community. These were the first bishops. Amazingly, the apostles laid the foundation for what became the Catholic Church that transformed a pagan Roman culture into a Christian one in a relatively short time.
In his first address to the cardinals, Pope Leo XIV challenged them to see the death of Pope Francis and the conclave as a paschal event. Our faith as Catholics is not in the person of the pope. It is the church of Jesus Christ and each pope is a servant leader of the church for a season. Popes are not called to be innovators who make up a new Gospel. The principal responsibility of the Holy Father is to pass on the faith that was originally articulated by the apostles to the next generation. The pope helps Catholics understand how to apply the ancient truths of our apostolic faith to the unique circumstances of the present moment.
Pope Leo reminded the cardinals: “Beginning with Saint Peter and up to myself, his unworthy successor, the pope has been a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this. . . . It is the risen Lord, present among us, who protects and
May 16
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR
Benedictine Baccalaureate Mass — Abbey Church, Atchison
May 17
Transitional diaconate ordination — cathedral
Mass with KU medical graduates — St. MarySt. Anthony Parish, Kansas City, Kansas
May 18
Mass of thanksgiving for Archbishop Naumann — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park
Baptism of third or more child — cathedral
May 19
Confirmation of Queen of the Holy Rosary, Overland Park, and St. Pius X, Mission — Queen of the Holy Rosary
May 20
Administrative Team meeting — chancery
Holy Hour and dinner for those to be ordained
May 21
Jesus Covenant Prayer Partner call
Confirmation — Blessed Sacrament, Kansas City, Kansas
May 22
Confirmation — Our Lady of Unity, Kansas City, Kansas
May 23
Priesthood ordination rehearsal — Church of the Nativity, Leawood
May 24
50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood
Priesthood ordination — Nativity
May 28
Confirmation — St. Catherine, Emporia
May 29
Confirmation — Our Lady of Guadalupe, Topeka
May 30
Benedictine Family Week Mass — St. Benedict, Atchison
Vespers and dinner — St. Benedict’s Abbey
June 1
50th wedding anniversary Mass — Sacred Heart, Shawnee
guides the church and continues to fill her with hope through the love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom 5:5). It is up to us to be docile listeners to his voice and faithful ministers of his plan of salvation, mindful that God loves to communicate himself — not in the roar of thunder and earthquakes but in the whisper of a gentle breeze (1 Kgs 19:12). . . . It is this essential and important encounter to which we must
guide and accompany all the holy people of God entrusted to our care.”
I urge all of us to pray daily for Pope Leo XIV as he takes up the mantle of Peter for the church in our time. Pray for strength and wisdom for our Holy Father as he embraces this humanly impossible responsibility. Pope Leo must rely upon the same truth that sustained Peter — that with God, all things are possible (Mt 19: 26).
FIRST AMERICAN POPE
White Sox fan, Villanova grad, Peru missionary, Vatican leader
By Maria Wiering
OSV News
ROME (OSV News) — Standing on the loggia of St. Peter’s basilica here, newly elected Pope Leo XIV smiled, waved and appeared to hold back emotion May 8 as he introduced himself to the world as the 266th successor to St. Peter — the first American to hold that role.
His first words were: “Peace be with you!”
Pope Leo, 69, formerly Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, is the first pope from the United States. He assumes the chair of Peter with multifaceted leadership experience: He grew up in the Midwest, graduated from Augustinian-run Villanova University in 1977 with a math degree, ministered as a bishop in Peru, and led the Vatican dicastery that helps appoint, form and retire bishops.
Born in Chicago and ordained a priest for the Order of St. Augustine in 1982, Pope Leo held major leadership roles in his religious community before being ordained a bishop in 2014, ministering in the dioceses of Chiclayo and Callao, Peru. He was installed as the prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Bishops — the powerful Vatican body responsible for choosing bishops throughout the world — in April 2023 and was elevated that September to the rank of cardinal.
In 2013, as he prepared to leave his role as the Augustinians’ global leader, he told Rome Reports that Augustinians “are called to live a simple life at the service of others, and in a special way, to reach out to those who are poor . . . which includes, of course, those who are monetarily poor, but there are many kinds of poverty in today’s world.”
Pope Leo was born in suburban south Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955. His family attended St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Dolton, Illinois, and he is reportedly of Italian, French and Spanish descent. In 1977, Pope Leo entered the novitiate of the Order of St. Augustine in St. Louis. In September 1978, at the age of 22, he professed first vows, and three years later, he made solemn vows. He earned a theology degree at the
Catholic Theological Union in Chicago before going to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum, receiving his licentiate in 1984. Three years later, he completed
his doctorate, writing on “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.”
By the time he received his doctorate, he had been ordained a priest for the Order of St. Augustine for five years and
had ministered for a year in the order’s mission of Chulucanas in Piura, Peru.
In 1987, he was elected the vocations director and missions director for his order’s Midwest province, Our Mother of Good Counsel. A year later, he went to Trujillo, Peru, to direct a joint formation project for the region’s Augustinian aspirants. Over the course of a decade in Trujillo, he served as the community’s prior, formation director and as a teacher. Meanwhile, he served the Archdiocese of Trujillo for nine years as its judicial vicar and was also a professor of canon, patristic and moral law in the San Carlos e San Marcelo Major Seminary, which is currently celebrating its 400th anniversary.
In 1999, Pope Leo returned to the United States to serve as prior provincial for the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel. In 2001, at age 46, he was promoted to his order’s prior general, considered its supreme authority that oversees its administration and governance.
Pope Leo was reelected to the role in 2007, holding it for a total of 12 years until 2013. Under his leadership, the Augustinian provinces in North America reorganized in 2012 as the Federation of the Augustinians of North America, which fostered greater collaboration while allowing each province some autonomy.
For a year, from October 2013 to November 2014, he served as a “teacher of the professed” and provincial vicar.
In November 2014, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru — an area in the northwestern part of the country that was then home to around 1.1 million Catholics, about 88% of the population at the time. He was simultaneously named a bishop, but of the titular diocese Sufar, under which title he was ordained a month later on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The following year, on Nov. 7, 2015, he was appointed bishop of Chiclayo. He also served for a year, from April 2020 to May 2021, as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Callao, Peru, whose
OSV NEWS PHOTO/SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA, REUTERS
A woman holds up a picture at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Chiclayo, Peru, on May 8, taken with then-Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, as people gather on the day of his election as the new pontiff. As an Augustinian priest, he spent many years as a missionary in Peru.
JOSEPH HENDRICKSON - STOCK.ADOBE.COM
The exterior of MLB’s Chicago White Sox’s Guaranteed Rate Field is shown. According to a May 8 interview with his brother John Prevost, Pope Leo is a Chicago White Sox fan — and never cheered for the baseball rival Chicago Cubs. “He was never, ever a Cubs fan,” the pope’s brother emphasized.
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Leo XIV, the former Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, listens to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican after his election as pope May 8. The new pope was born in Chicago in 1955.
LIVE FROM ROME
Father Saiki on hand to witness history
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
VATICAN CITY — St. Peter’s Square here erupted with joy as white smoke appeared from the Sistine Chapel on May 8.
“The crowd, the cheers, the running — it was so much intensity, so much excitement,” said Father Anthony Saiki, rector of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Kansas City, Kansas.
“People were pushing in so that way we could get as close as possible,” he continued. “It was just this mad rush.”
When the cardinal protodeacon Dominique Mamberti appeared on St. Peter’s Balcony, the crowd went quiet.
“When the cardinal was about to announce the name, you could hear a pin drop in the square,” said Father Saiki.
Cardinal Mamberti announced the new pope was Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost.
“Cardinal Prevost was a new cardinal,” said Father Saiki, “and Cardinal Prevost was an American. And Cardinal Prevost wasn’t on anybody’s radars.
“We were like, ‘What just happened? Did he just say that cardinal from Chicago got elected pope?’”
Father Saiki arrived in Rome on May 5, just two days before the conclave began.
“It was a real spur-of-the-moment idea,” he said. “A friend of mine from the U.K. said, ‘I think I’m going to the conclave.’”
Father Saiki’s friend rented an apartment and said there was an extra
I THOUGHT HIS SPEECH WAS BEAUTIFUL. ON THE JUMBOTRONS, WE COULD SEE HE HAD TEARS IN HIS EYES. HE WAS SO HUMAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HE’S THE POPE!
FATHER ANTHONY SAIKI
RECTOR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. PETER THE APOSTLE IN KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
room, so he should come along. A third priest also joined them.
Father Saiki lived in Rome from 2017-20, “so, it was kind of a homecoming,” he said.
He spent his first couple days getting reacquainted with the city and enjoying Italian meals.
“The city was so busy,” he said. “Every church was packed, the streets were packed, restaurants were packed.
“I think there was a conclave bump in traffic, but it’s also the Jubilee Year of Hope, so tons of people had pilgrimages planned anyways.”
On May 7, the first day of the conclave, he spent the morning at St. Mary Major, where Pope Francis is buried.
“So, I prayed at his tomb and also prayed at the tomb of Pope St. Leo V,” he said, “asking him to intercede for the cardinals and inspire them as they went to elect a new pope.”
Father Saiki arrived at St. Peter’s
Topeka native praises selection of a missionary as pope
By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
ROME — Topeka native Father Bob Conroy, MIC, had a front row seat for the election of Pope Leo XIV.
Ordained a priest in 1989 for the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, an order started by St. Teresa of Kolkata, Father Conroy returned to Rome in December 2023 to serve as the vicar general of the congregation and the superior of the order’s house of formation in Rome.
And he had a lot to say about the election of a fellow missionary and religious order priest to the role of Supreme Pontiff.
“He was forged in the crucible of suffering among the poor in Peru, and he lived the spirit of St. Augustine as a consecrated religious and superior for many years,” said Father Conroy of Pope Leo XIV. “This is not a career diplomat who has reached the summit of the diplomatic corps.
“Nor is this a pope who has never lived outside of Rome or been in an office his entire priestly life.
Square that afternoon as the cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel for the conclave.
Two days later, when Pope Leo XIV came onto the balcony, Father Saiki soaked in the historic moment.
“I thought his speech was beautiful,” he said. “On the jumbotrons, we could see he had tears in his eyes. He was so human, but at the same time, he’s the pope!
“It was a really beautiful, exciting moment.”
To cap off his trip, Father Saiki spent time with Archbishop-designate Shawn McKnight, who was in Rome for a preplanned pilgrimage.
“It was really beautiful to be with him, to enjoy Rome together, enjoy this moment in the life of the church together,” he said.
The archbishop-designate invited Father Saiki to concelebrate Mass with him in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Altar of the Chair.
“God certainly blessed that moment,” said Father Saiki.
Being surrounded by Catholics from around the world during his time in Rome was powerful.
“It meant a lot to be there and to witness the historic moment,” said Father Saiki, “but also to really engage with the church universal in such a concrete way.”
He hopes that through the papal election Catholics will have “a new excitement for the church and a new recognition of how God walks with the church.”
“I’m really thankful to cardinals who are docile to God,” he said, “and picked this really extraordinary man to be our new Holy Father.
“It’s a moment to celebrate.”
“He is a man who has climbed the rocky paths up the side of a mountain for hours and hours, sweating and hungry just to celebrate a Mass of confirmation for some poor indigenous families living on almost unfarmable land in a place where most of us would need bottled oxygen to breathe.”
That doesn’t mean his sole qualifications for the job are his missionary work, however.
“This is also a canon-lawyer pope who knows the teaching of the church and respects the magisterium,” said Father Conroy. “He can see beyond the Via [della] Conciliazione [in Rome] to the Himalayas, Andes and Kilimanjaro. The Lord has chosen a shepherd who smells like the sheep dressed in the white cassock of the vicar of Christ.”
But Father Conroy does think the time the pope has spent in missionary life will be a blessing to the church he leads.
Those blessings, he said, include “a worldview that bridges wealthy nations and developing countries from the inside out, an understanding that the Father’s mercy and love are unconditional and irrespective of color, class, sex and religion” as well as an understanding that he “must be an instrument of forgiveness and peace to all peoples.”
Additionally, the new pontiff will live out his papacy, he said, based upon knowing his life is not more important than his neighbor’s — as well as the fact that God has given him personal gifts and talents to be used for the benefit of others.
“I am very optimistic about the future of the church,” Father Conroy concluded, “with this new pope at the helm.
“I believe that we are in good hands because he seems to be a man of prayer who knows the world and the problems that face us today.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF FATHER ANTHONY SAIKI
Father Anthony Saiki, rector of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Kansas City, Kansas, made a spur-of-the-moment decision to head to Rome for the papal conclave. He arrived on May 5 and was able to see Pope Leo XIV walk onto the balcony for the first time.
Father Bob Conroy, MIC
HOLY SPIRIT WAS SMOKIN’ FOR THE NEW POPE
Father Hamilton
creates fun, special moment for students
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
OVERLAND PARK — As white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on May 8, Father Justin Hamilton and Shaw Leach hurried to climb the steps of the rooftop at Holy Spirit School here.
Once the school community gathered in the parking lot below, Father Hamilton elatedly waved a white smoke bomb, letting them know a pope had been elected.
“When they saw the white, it was an eruption just like if you were at the Vatican,” said Father Hamilton, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish. “They were going crazy with excitement.”
The sound of wedding bells chimed joyfully to inform the wider community of the news.
Just a day before, Father Hamilton had stood in the rain waving black smoke as it appeared at the same time from the Sistine Chapel, to the sound of funeral bells tolling around him.
The idea for the smoke announcement was presented to Father Hamilton by Leach, the parish manager.
“We’d been chatting about ways to draw attention to the beauty and the joy of this time,” said Father Hamilton.
After the students and staff found out a pope had been elected, they headed into the church, where a livestream of the scene at the Vatican
played on projectors.
“Father Justin led the school in a rosary while we waited with the rest of the world for Pope Leo [XIV] to go out on the balcony,” said Leach.
The moment the Chicago native appeared was special.
“The kids in the church, we were trying to keep very somber and prayerful,” said Leach, “but when they heard that it was an American, the kids went bananas, which was beautiful to see.
“I don’t think any of them or any of us were really expecting an American pope.”
Dr. Maureen Huppe, Holy Spirit principal, was grateful Father Hamilton made the extra effort to make the day memorable.
“I love the way Father Justin helped make this incredible moment special for the students,” she said. “They were all cheering and some crying with joy.”
She and Leach believe the experience is one the students will always remember.
“I think it will absolutely create core memories for these kids that they can look back on,” said Leach. “And this is probably a pope that they will have for a lot of their life being as young as he is.”
“He really is a spiritual leader for our students and staff,” said Huppe of Father Hamilton, “and this is just one of the many ways he shows it.”
To top off the excitement of the day, Father Hamilton ran out for an errand
later that afternoon.
“He came back with bags full of Chicagostyle hot dogs,” said Leach. “He told me, in honor of our Chicago pope, ‘Please go pass these out to all the staff, anyone that you can find.’
“It’s great to see our pastor so joyful.”
Father Hamilton hoped the experience would help the students understand the magnitude of the Catholic faith.
“Our parish matters, our community matters, our archdiocese matters,” he said, “but the faith is something so much bigger.
“And I find it’s hard to communicate that. But then you have an event like this, and it falls into your lap.”
Sharing the historic moment with his parish and school staff was a bonus.
“To be able to celebrate with them was really special,” he said.
Archbishop McKnight on Pope Leo IV
In an interview from Rome with Lester Holt of NBC News, Archbishop-designate Shawn McKnight had this to say about the new pope, Leo XIV:
“I feel very optimistic. I don’t know him that well personally, but I think he’s very well-positioned for effective leadership. That was one thing that I mentioned to [NBC] last night as to what I was looking for in our new pope — someone who can lead us at this time and one who would be open to transparency and accountability.”
“I think his language skills and diverse experience, the fact that he’s a religious and also from the United States — he has a lot to draw from and I am looking forward to meeting him for the first time at the end of June when all the new archbishops get to celebrate Mass with him.
“What I liked about his initial appearance to us as the new pope, Leo XIV, was his humble confidence. He exuded that he’s got this, and he understands what it’s about. I was very happy to hear him mention synodality. That’s going to be the path forward on all our crises. It’s going to be the path of listening to the people, and also consulting the people who have the ability and skill sets to tackle the problems.”
PHOT0 BY TAYLOR LOFTUS
Father Justin Hamilton waves a white smoke bomb atop Holy Spirit School in Overland Park, signaling to the students that a new pope had been elected.
Sisters share recollections, prayers and hopes for new pope
By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Hermana Nery Lourdes Abad Pulache, SCL, tried not to get her hopes up about Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, OSA, in the recent conclave.
She regarded him highly, based on his many years of ministry in Peru. But she prayed only that the Spirit would guide the cardinals in their selection.
With the official proclamation of the name “Prevost” from the balcony, however, she was overcome with surprise, gratitude and a profound sense of joy. So much so, that she found it hard to contain her excitement in her classroom of fifth graders in Chalaco, Peru.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Sister María de los Milagros Orozco Olaya, SCL, heard the election’s outcome — and cried tears of joy.
Then, she called friends in this country and in her native Peru and excitedly repeated, “It’s Bob! It’s Bob!”
Several Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCLs) — both those who are native Peruvian Hermanas (Sisters) and those who were U.S.-born missionaries — have happy recollections of now-Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Prevost, and before that “Father Bob.”
They had met him at liturgies, meetings and social gatherings when he was serving in Peru. A few SCLs even had talked one-on-one with the Augustinian priest who had just became the 267th pope of the Catholic Church.
As recently as last summer, two SCLs attended an August 2024 celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Diocese of Chulucanas at which Cardinal Prevost presided. Hermana Lourdes was invited to proclaim the first reading at the Mass. She recalls that the cardinal’s homily that day was very profound. And she treasures the photo taken on that occasion with him and another SCL.
“He conveys serenity,” said Hermana Lourdes, “and is attentive to people and everything that is happening around him.”
Years ago, Sister María met Father Bob at gatherings of clergy and religious in
Peru. As a young Sister in formation, she heard him speak to men and women pursuing religious vocations. At diocesan pastoral meetings, he spoke knowledgeably on a range of topics. Sister Maria, who has served in the United States for the past 21 years, was impressed by Father Bob’s simplicity, humility and closeness to the Peruvian people.
A missionary in Peru for 44 years, Sister Regina Deitchman, SCL, once enjoyed lunch and conversation with the future pope at the SCL convent in Chalaco. Chalaco was a midpoint for Augustinian priests traveling distances between parishes, and a good stopping place for a meal break with the Sisters and the local pastor.
Although she never worked directly with Pope Leo, Hermana Esther Vilela Gutiérrez, SCL, director of the community’s
Latin American missions in Peru, understands him to be a person characterized by simplicity and kindness. She recognizes his commitment to social justice and as a voice of common sense and practical concern for the church’s work on behalf of the poor. She, too, acknowledges his love of and dedication to the people of Peru.
Sister Helen Therese Mack, SCL, who served 42 years in Peru, remembers the new pope as a very unassuming person. But she also recognized in him someone who is direct and doesn’t skirt the issues. She describes him as attentive and a good listener and considers him “exactly the person to continue the synodal process in the church.”
While she couldn’t believe the cardinals would elect an American pope, Sister Regina is very happy that someone
with ties to the United States and Peru was elected.
“Pope Leo is an international person who can communicate in different languages,” she said. “I think he will be very, very good in his new role.”
Sister Helen Therese’s prayer is that Pope Leo will assume the mantle of leadership with humility and awareness of the needs of the world and the church. Sister Esther prays that he will continue the reform, transformation and renewal of the church.
Hermana Lourdes believes his whole life has prepared Pope Leo for this new and monumental ministry.
“He is a pope for our time,” she said. “My prayers are that he will continue to listen to the Spirit of the risen Christ and be open to the different calls of the signs of the times.”
Augustinian priests reflect on one of their own elected Pope Leo XIV
By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS — “I think he has a lot to offer the church right now as an Augustinian.”
That’s what Father Joseph Arsenault, SSA, said of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s May 8 election to the papacy.
An archdiocesan canon lawyer, the priest is an Augustinian Recollect, as is Father Peter Jaramillo, SSA, pastor of All Saints Parish in Kansas City, Kansas. Both priests have met the man now known as Pope Leo XIV.
In 2013, Father Jaramillo, then national director of the Cursillo movement, took time from Cursillo activities at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, to walk and pray in the garden when he encountered the future pope doing the same.
“I had my habit on, and he knew I wasn’t one of theirs, but he knew I was an Augustinian. He asked my name. I told him who I was, and we shook
hands. He said, ‘Welcome to Vil lanova. I’m glad you’re here. I wish you blessings on your Cursillo movement and Cursillo activities. Keep up the good work!’”
It was just last November when Father Arsenault met Pope Leo XIV when the two priests were in Rome for an Augustinian gathering.
“I was actually at St. Peter’s Basilica, getting ready for Mass and he walked by,” said Father Arsenault. “So, I said hello to him and shook his hand.”
share our studies. We share our friendship. So, the significance of sharing the common life, that’s the charism of the Augustinian.”
Father Arsenault agreed.
“The first part of the Rule of St. Augustine says, ‘We are to be of one mind and one heart intent upon God. That’s our reason for coming together.’”
In sharing thoughts about the pope’s election, both priests emphasized the Augustinian charism is all about community.
“We share the common life together. We share our time as we pray together,” Father Jaramillo said. “We share our meals together in common. We work together in ministry. We share fraternity. We share recreation. We
“It’s more than just people living together,” Father Arsenault said. “There is to be that friendship that develops in common life. As we find God together, we’re empowered to go out and to be of service to the church. But our common life is first and foremost. That takes primary focus in our daily lives.”
It wasn’t a surprise to either priest that during Pope Leo XIV’s first public remarks, he shared a thought from St. Augustine saying, “With you, I am a Christian; for you, I am your bishop.” Its meaning, Father Jaramillo said,
is simple.
“The Augustinian knows how to walk. That’s the accompaniment that [Pope] Francis would be talking about,” he said. “We walk together on this journey to eternal life. That’s Augustine’s famous line. He speaks about the restlessness of the heart, that our hearts are restless until we rest in you, O Lord. So, we walk together until we come to find the joy of being one with God in eternity.
“But in Christian life, we don’t walk by ourselves. We walk with another brother or sister in that journey.”
So, what does the pope’s election mean for Augustinians?
“It’s not so much what it means for us as Augustinians,” said Father Arsenault. “It’s what it means for the church.
“Because I think we all recognize that we’re in a divided world, we’re in a divided church at times. There’s hurting and there’s pain, yet there’s still that deep desire for God.
“I think the gift that an Augustinian pope can give to the church is calling us — challenging us — to be of that one mind, one heart, intent upon God.”
Father Peter Jaramillo, SSA
Father Joseph Arsenault, SSA
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY
In August 2024, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCLs) and representatives from other religious communities are pictured with then-Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, OSA. From left to right are: Sister Ana Walsh, Franciscan Missionary of the Immaculate Conception; Sister Marilú Córdova Compoverde, Benedictine Sister; Cardinal Prevost; Hermana Clorinda Timaná Martinez, SCL; and Hermana Nery Lourdes Abad Pulache, SCL.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Pope’s Michigan high school classmate says he was smart, well-liked and ‘tutor’ of the school
By Michael Stechschulte Detroit Catholic, OSV News
DETROIT (OSV News) — The new Roman pontiff — the vicar of Christ on earth — attended high school in western Michigan.
For Catholics from the Great Lakes state, that sentence might take a while to sink in.
Born in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo XIV spent most of his childhood in the Greater Chicago area, but he attended high school at the now-closed St. Augustine Seminary High School in Holland, to be exact.
The Chicago Sun Times, in a report May 3, said he attended the small Augustinian prep school in the early 1970s as he was discerning the priesthood with the Order of St. Augustine. He was a member of the class of 1973.
The school’s class sizes were small at the time, so if you were a student there, it was likely you knew the future pope, born Robert Francis Prevost. To his friends, he was simply known as “Bob.”
One of those friends was Father Becket Franks, a Benedictine monk who currently lives and serves at St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois.
“I was there from 1968 to 1972, so he was a year behind me,” Father Franks said. “The school was so small, there couldn’t have been more than 65 people. Everyone knew everyone.”
Today, the former school is known as the Felt Estate, a 12,000-foot historic mansion in Laketown Township that, from 1949 to 1977, served as a Catholic prep school run by the Augustinians. At its peak in the 1960s, the seminary high school enrolled 180 students, most of whom came from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
Those who attended the school say it was the type of close-knit place where lifelong memories were formed.
“We all knew each other. Even though we had different courses for different grades, all of our curriculums were smashed together,” Father Franks told Detroit Catholic, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Detroit, in a phone interview. “I was in choir with Bob. I was in reader’s theater with him. We interacted all the time together.”
Father Franks remembers the new Roman pontiff as a highly intelligent, well-liked student, and the sort of classmate who would go out of his way to help everyone else, especially those in need.
“The most outstanding thing is how smart he is,” Father Franks said. “He was into everything, he knew
everything and it came easily. And he brought all of us along with him.”
By the end of his sophomore year, the future Pope Leo XIV was already speaking fluent French, and would frequently help classmates with their schoolwork.
“He was known as the tutor of the school; if you had problems with your English paper, go see Prevost. If you have problems with your math homework, go see Prevost. If you didn’t understand some history project, go see Bob,” Father Franks said. “And Bob would help us.”
A newspaper clipping from the Holland Sentinel from Oct. 7, 1972, shared that Bob was honored “for his high performance on the 1971 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.”
The future pope also was “consistently on the honor roll,” was in the National Honor Society and part of the school’s Mission Club. He was vice president of the Student Council, president of the Library Club, senior class president and a senator at the Student Congress in Lansing.
He was also editor-in-chief of the school’s yearbook — which he signed for Father Franks, simply, “Best of luck always, Bob Prevost.”
Father Franks remembers the new pope for his down-to-earth personality, quiet wit and characteristic Midwest charm, but also as someone who could appreciate a good joke and a little levity, he said.
“He was quiet and serious, but with wry humor,” Father Franks said. “He does have a good sense of humor, but
it’s understated and quiet — when he starts that smirk on his face, you know he’s going to laugh.”
Like the rest of the country, Father Franks wasn’t prepared for the shock of seeing an American — let alone his high school friend — step out onto the loggia above St. Peter’s Square on May 8. As the curtains drew back and the words “Dominum Robertum Franciscum Prevost” were spoken by the cardinal protodeacon, he nearly fell out of his chair.
Father Franks’ initial reaction “wasn’t really Benedictine monkish,” he laughed.
“I started screaming. I was in the kitchen, and the monks came running in, thinking something was wrong,” Father Franks said. “And I said, ‘My high school classmate just got named pope!’”
Although cellphones aren’t usually allowed in the abbey’s dining room, the prior made an exception, and the monks huddled around Father Franks’ tiny phone screen to watch as Cardinal Prevost was introduced to the world as Pope Leo XIV.
“Everybody let me play my phone live of Bob coming out on the loggia, and I just started crying,” Father Franks said. “And everyone’s going, ‘That’s so cool. You know him.’ I went to school with him. It was a very special, wild day.”
Father Franks said he has kept in touch with the new pope “on again, off again” over the years — a Christmas card here, a letter there. Occasionally they’d see each other during events, sharing a quick greeting.
Since the announcement, he’s spoken with other classmates who are equally as shocked and proud.
“One is an ER doctor down in Georgia, and I called him, and he said one of his nurses told him,” Father Franks said. “He said, ‘Can you believe it? Bob is the pope.’”
Like many, Father Franks is confident Pope Leo XIV will be a blessing for the church, just as Bob Prevost was a blessing to his high school classmates. In 2024, then-Cardinal Prevost spoke about his time in high school during an event at St. Jude Church in New Lenox, Illinois.
According to one report, the future pope told members of the parish how he was impacted by those at St. Augustine, including one educator who “was a really dedicated teacher and Augustinian,” he said.
He entered the novitiate for the Midwest Augustinians in 1977. He professed first vows in 1978 and final vows in 1981. He was ordained a priest the following year. Then-Father Prevost spent decades as a missionary in Peru, but later returned to the United States as provincial of his order’s Chicago-based Midwest province and then his order’s worldwide leader, a role he held for two, six-year terms.
He was bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from September 2015 until January 2023 when he was named the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. He was elevated to cardinal in September 2023.
Father Franks said the man who signed a high school yearbook “Bob Prevost” continued to humbly sign letters the same way throughout the years. His signature will hold a bit more weight these days — even if the name is different.
“Pay close attention to why he chose Leo XIV,” Father Franks said. “If you know anything about Pope Leo XIII, this is a man who is going to further the social teachings of the church. He’s someone who’s going to stand up for unions and workers and migrants and immigrants. That’s going to be Pope Leo.”
As the world gets to know the 266th successor to St. Peter, Father Franks and others hope they see the same caring, thoughtful, smart and faithfilled follower of Christ they knew as a teenager growing up along the shores of Lake Michigan.
“He’s just a humble, forthright, down-to-earth guy,” Father Franks added. “He was always respectable and in position, but at the same time, always himself.”
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Tens of thousands of people — many waving American flags to celebrate the nationality of the new pope — gather in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican May 11 to join Pope Leo XIV in his first Sunday recitation of the “Regina Coeli” prayer.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE, REUTERS
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has chosen the papal name Leo XIV, appears on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican May 8 following his election during the conclave. He is the first American pope in history.
THE FIRST DAYS OF POPE LEO XIV
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
A girl holds out a drawing she made for Pope Leo XIV, hoping that he will accept it after his meeting with members of the media May 12 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. The flag on the drawing says “peace” and the message at the bottom says, “Hurray for Pope Leo XIV.”
Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican as he
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Leo XIV processes out of the Sistine Chapel after celebrating his first Mass as pope with the cardinals who elected him at the Vatican May 9.
OSV NEWS
PHOTO/SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA, REUTERS
People react at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Chiclayo, Peru, May 8, the day Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected pope. He chose the papal name Leo XIV. As an Augustinian priest, then-Father Prevost spent many years as a missionary in Peru.
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Leo XIV prays at the tomb of Pope Francis in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major May 10.
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian journalist who helped expose the abuse committed by leaders of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, gives Pope Leo XIV a stole made of alpaca wool during the pope’s meeting with members of the media May 12 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
he leads, for the first time, the midday recitation of the “Regina Coeli” prayer May 11.
OSV NEWS
PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Leo XIV greets a man with a laptop showing the Peruvian flag during a meeting at the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican May 12 with representatives of the media who covered his election.
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Leo XIV leaves the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall after meeting with the College of Cardinals May 10 for his first formal address to the college since his election May 8. To the right of the pope are: Cardinal Fabio Baggio, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, an official of the Prefecture of the Papal Household; and Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
New pope hopes for ‘healthy dialogue’ with the U.S.
>> Continued from page 3
see city is nearly 500 miles south of Chiclayo along the Peruvian coast.
In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Clergy. A year later, he became a member of the Congregation for Bishops.
In January 2023, Pope Leo was appointed to lead the Vatican’s Dicastery of Bishops, replacing the Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, and given the personal title of archbishop. Pope Francis elevated him to a cardinal in September 2023, making him cardinal-deacon of Santa Monica of the Augustinians, a church immediately south of the Vatican dedicated to St. Monica, St. Augustine’s mother. He was the first — and so far only — cardinal
named to that church.
Speaking to The Associated Press after being made a cardinal in 2023, Pope Leo XIV said, “I think that it’s not coincidental that Pope Francis chose me. I’ve been a missionary my whole life, and I was working in Peru, but I am American, and I think I do have some insights into the church in the United States.”
He continued: “So, the need to be able to advise, work with Pope Francis and to look at the challenges that the church in the United States is facing, I hope to be able to respond to them with healthy dialogue, as we’ve already begun, with all the bishops in the United States, and to continue to look for ways to be church in the day and age that we’re living.”
In 2023, Pope Francis also named
then-Cardinal Prevost president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, which studies and assists the church in Latin America. Pope Leo XIV reportedly enjoys playing tennis; speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese; and reads Latin and German. According to a May 8 interview with his brother John Prevost, Pope Leo is a Chicago White Sox fan — and never cheered for baseball rival Chicago Cubs. “He was never, ever a Cubs fan,” the pope’s brother emphasized.
Pope Leo has been commended for his interpersonal skills, with veteran American Vatican journalist John Allen Jr. of Crux describing him as “a moderate, balanced figure, known for solid judgment and a keen capacity to listen.”
What’s
in a name?
By Woodeene Koenig-Bricker Special to The Leaven
When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost first stepped out on the balcony at St. Peter’s as the 267th pope, the question on everyone’s lips was, “What name is he going to take?”
The Catholic Church is an ancient institution. Nothing is done without meaning, least of all the name a new pope assumes. So when Leo XIV was announced, speculation as to the reason for the choice began immediately.
Popes change their birth names to signify their transition to a new state of being, a new birth, as it were, but also as a way to subtly convey the focus of their papacy. However old the tradition is, it wasn’t always the case. The first pope to change his name was Pope John II (papacy 475-535), who was originally named Mercurius after the Roman god Mercury. The most common papal name is John, and convention dictates that no one take the name Peter out of respect for the first pope.
In his first address to the college of cardinals, Pope Leo XIV explained that he took the name Leo in honor of Leo XIII, who wrote the ground-breaking encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” which confronted the social issues created by the industrial revolution, including the rights of laborers. This was taken as a sign that he would address the issues of the current AI revolution with regard to workers and human dignity.
However, given that five previous popes named Leo have been canonized, the name carries additional significance. Pope St. Leo I, also known as Leo the Great (ruling years 400-461), is best remembered for turning back Attila the Hun from invading Italy.
St. Leo II (682-683) reigned for too short a time to do much, but he was noted for his compassion for the poor. St. Leo III (795-816) had a tremendous influence on the secular powers of the papacy. St. Leo IX (1049-1054) had the misfortune of being a pope during the schism between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches that has lasted until now.
One thing these previous Leos had in common was their direct involvement with the major social powers of their times.
However, there is one more Leo of note. While we cannot know if Pope Leo considered him when choosing the name Leo, Brother Leo was St. Francis of Assisi’s right-hand man. He was one of Francis’ first followers, his secretary and confessor. Brother Leo stayed with Francis when Francis received the stigmata and nursed Francis through his final illness. Even if Pope Leo didn’t consider Brother Leo when choosing his name, it is a fitting name for the pope who followed the first Pope Francis.
Finally, the name Leo means “lion” in Latin. Certainly, in this time of great social change, it is appropriate for the church to be guided by a man with the strength and courage traditionally associated with a lion.
Woodeene Koenig-Bricker has written extensively on the saints. Her newest book, “Praying the Saints: An Inspired Collection of Holy Wisdom” (Ave Maria Press), will be released in the fall.
POPE WATCH
Schools across the archdiocese gather to catch first glimpse of the new pope
St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Overland Park
Corpus Christi, Lawrence
Church of the Nativity, Leawood
Maur Hill-Mt. Academy, Atchison
Bishop Miege High School, Roeland Park
St. James Academy, Lenexa
St. Ann, Prairie Village
Prince of Peace, Olathe
St. Gregory the Great, Marysville
Hayden High School, Topeka
Curé of Ars, Leawood
Sacred Heart, Shawnee
Christ the King, Topeka
Join Archbishop McKnight in Rome to receive pallium
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Catholics in the archdiocese are invited to join Archbishop Shawn McKnight for his Pallium Mass on June 29, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
The palliums, which are liturgical vestments worn over the chasuble, will be blessed by Pope Leo XIV and distributed to the new archbishops from around the world.
Those attending in support of Archbishop McKnight will have the opportunity to gather for a meal with him after the Mass.
The archdiocese is not organizing a pilgrimage for this occasion, so travelers will arrange their own travel and transportation. Those interested can reserve seats together as a group at the Mass.
If you plan to be part of the group from Kansas City, send an email to Lisa McKelvey, director of stewardship and development, at: lmckelvey@archkck.org.
Catholic cemeteries to host Memorial Day Masses, May 26
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas has planned a full schedule of Memorial Day Masses on May 26, across various locations in Johnson, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties.
Memorial Day Masses will be offered at the following cemeteries or churches:
• Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 15825 S. 169 Highway, Olathe, 8 a.m.; celebrated by Father Michael Hermes.
• St. John Cemetery, Lenexa, 8:15 a.m. at Holy Trinity Church, 91st and Pflumm Rd., Lenexa.
• Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 126th and Parallel, Kansas City, Kansas, 9 a.m., Holy Redeemer Chapel; commemorating persons buried at this cemetery and at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Lansing; celebrated by Father Anthony Ouellette.
• Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 38th and State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, 9 a.m.; at the Crucifixion Group; commemorating persons buried at this cemetery and at St. John Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas; celebrated by Father Mark Goldasich.
• Resurrection Cemetery, 83rd and Quivira Rd., Lenexa, 9 a.m., outside the entrance of Queen of Peace Chapel; celebrated by Father Jerry Volz; liturgical music by Melissa Jakmouj and Shaun Whisler.
• St. Joseph Cemetery, 61st Terr. and Quivira Rd., Shawnee, 9 a.m., at the Crucifixion Group.
• Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 801 S.W. Westchester Rd., Topeka, 10 a.m., at the cemetery altar; celebrated by Father Tim Haberkorn; liturgical music by Spirit & Fire.
In case of rain, Masses will be in mausoleum chapels or nearby churches. For more information, call (913) 3714040 (Kansas City area) or (785) 2720820 (Topeka area); send an email to: information@cathcemks.org; or visit the website at: www.cathcemks.org.
Still time to enroll at the new St.
John Paul II Academy in Olathe
OLATHE — St. John Paul II here, the newest archdiocesan parish, will open a K-8 archdiocesan school in August.
Inspired by Pope John Paul II, the St. John Paul II Academy will provide a rich, liberal arts education integrated with education in the Catholic faith. Enrollment is open now for kindergarten, first and second grades, with a new grade being added every year. Twoand three-day preschool is also enrolling now.
A distinctive feature of this classical academy is the deeply integrated curriculum, which solidifies content in the memory, helping the child to make connections between particular subjects and the larger picture, fostering a wise vision of
life. Expect an exceptional literacy and math program that is integrated with history, nature studies and the arts. And with refined and intentional use of technology, children will have more time for outdoor learning, extensive exposure to great literature and a broad experience of the musical and visual arts.
At the heart of this academy will be Jesus Christ. Twice weekly Mass, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, weekly eucharistic adoration and the thorough integration of the liturgical calendar into the ongoing life of the academy will be hallmarks of the program.
For more information, go online to: academy.stjpii.org or contact Jenny Kropf by email at: jenny kropf@stjpii.org.
Help Archbishop McKnight feed the hungry
OVERLAND PARK — Help
Archbishop Shawn McKnight get a fresh start in his new role by donating fresh food to those in need.
All are invited to Archbishop McKnight’s Fresh Start Food Drive benefiting Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas from 10 a.m. to noon on May 31 at the Fiorella’s Event Space parking lot, 9000 W. 137th St., Overland Park.
This is an opportunity to meet and welcome the new archbishop and demonstrate the generosity of archdiocesan parishes for the poor.
Give using Venmo
Fresh food items most needed by Catholic Charities’ pantries include: apples, oranges, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, cottage cheese, yogurt and other shelf-stable foods such as peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables.
Becky (Naab) and Robert Stickney, members of Holy Spirit Parish, Overland Park, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 24. The couple was married on May 24, 1975, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Windthorst. Their children are: Beth Ann Stackhouse and John Robert Stickney. They also have two grandchildren. They are planning a celebration with family and friends on May 24.
Carole and Stanley Hasenkamp, members of St. Malachy Parish, Beattie, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 31. The couple was married on May 31, 1975, at First Lutheran Church, Summerfield. They will celebrate with lunch with their family. Their children are: Annette Hilderman, Topeka; and John Hasenkamp (deceased). They also have three grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, one great-grandchild and three step-greatgrandchildren.
Allegations come against order priests
With deep sorrow for the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas (“Archdiocese”) and St. Benedict’s Abbey (“Abbey”), Atchison, announce that Father John “Fidelis” Forrester, OSB, and Father Donald Redmond, OSB, have recently been the subjects of substantiated allegations of abuse.
After a thorough investigation, these allegations were found credible. Father John “Fidelis” has been added to the archdiocesan list of clerics with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors that occurred in this archdiocese. Father Donald was previously published on this list, but additionally, he has substantiated allegations of abuse against an adult.
For more information and to view a list of their pastoral assignments, refer to: Allegation Announcements — Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas (arch kck.org). Father John “Fidelis” passed away in 2002. Father Donald was removed from public ministry in 2002 and died in 2019.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and St. Benedict’s Abbey take all allegations of misconduct by church personnel very seriously and work to respond to survivors’ needs with urgency, respect and compassion. We encourage anyone with knowledge about any misconduct by a church volunteer, employee, religious or clergy member — regardless of when the abuse may have occurred — to contact civil authorities first, and then call or text the archdiocese’s confidential report line at (913) 276-8703 or online at: www. archkck.org/reportabuse.
Ljubica and Franjo “Frank” Kožar, members of St. John the Baptist Parish, Kansas City, Kansas, will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on June 1 with family by attending a special Mass in their honor at St.
John the Baptist Church followed by an open house. The couple was married on June 4, 1960, at Sveti Ilija (St. Elijah) Church, in Lipnik, Croatia. Their children are: Dragica Caroline Nordlund and Frank Kožar Jr. They also have five grandchildren (one deceased) and one great-granddaughter.
Dee and Richard Andra, parishioners of St. Benedict Parish, Atchison, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with their family at a luncheon on May 24. The couple was married on May 29, 1965, at St. Joseph Parish in Westphalia, Missouri. They have four daughters: Janelle Stamm, Jean Murry, Cyndy Detlefson and Diane Thompson. They also have 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
Father Cramer the subject of allegations
With deep sorrow for the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas (“Archdiocese”) announces that Father Joseph Cramer has recently been the subject of credible allegations of abuse.
After a thorough investigation, these allegations were found to be substantiated. Father Cramer has been added to the archdiocesan list of clerics with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors that occurred in this archdiocese, and additionally, he has substantiated allegations of abuse against a vulnerable adult.
For more information and to view a list of his pastoral assignments, refer to: Allegation Announcements — Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas (arch kck.org). Father Cramer passed away in 2022.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas takes all allegations of misconduct by church personnel very seriously and works to respond to survivors’ needs with urgency, respect and compassion. We encourage anyone with knowledge about any misconduct by a church volunteer, employee, religious or clergy member — regardless of when the abuse may have occurred — to contact civil authorities first, and then call or text the archdiocese’s confidential report line at (913) 276-8703 or online at: www.archkck.org/reportabuse.
EMPLOYMENT
Chief Operating Officer (COO) - The St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center in Lawrence, Kansas, is seeking to hire a full-time COO under the supervision of the director and chaplain. Responsibilities include overseeing fundraising strategy, financial management, facilities and nonministerial staff while fostering a culture of excellence, trust and collaboration. This role requires strong administrative skills, a heart for the church and the ability to inspire benefactors and team members alike in advancing the center’s vision for growth and impact. For more information, go online to: https://kucatholic.org/jobs. To apply, send your resume, cover letter and three references to Father Luke Doyle at: frluke@kucatholic.org.
Liturgy coordinator - St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood is seeking a full-time liturgy coordinator to prepare for the celebration of the Mass and other sacred mysteries. Applicants must be practicing Catholics familiar with the Roman Catholic liturgical tradition. The position requires strong organizational, administrative and communication skills as well as initiative and responsibility. Hours include weekend and some evening hours. Includes full-benefits options. Go online to: stmichaelcp.org/employment for a full job description. Send cover letter and resume to: kevin.vogt@stmichaelcp.org.
Care coordinator - Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of seniors? As a care coordinator, you will work closely with health care providers, families and clients to create personalized care plans that promote well-being and independence. This opportunity is open to new graduates. To learn more and apply, visit: https://recruiting. paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/3045125/ Santa-Marta-Retirement/Care-Coordinator.
Database administrator - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking to hire a database administrator, which is responsible for maintaining a healthy and accurate account of donors and gifts to the archdiocese, making sure that donors are properly credited and acknowledged for their gifts in a timely and personal manner. This position is full time and benefits-eligible. For more details or to apply, please visit “Employment Opportunities” at: www. archkck.org.
Campus minister - St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center in Lawrence is seeking to hire a full-time campus minister under the supervision of the director of ministry and mission. Responsibilities include one-onone meetings with students for structured mentor-ship; leading Good Company, the evangelization and outreach arm of the center, hosting belonging events for students; recruiting students; planning the welcome back BBQ; and administrative tasks. For more information, go to: https://kucatholic.org/jobs. To apply, send your resume, cover letter, and three references to Alli Petty: apetty@kucatholic.org.
Part-time assistant director - Holy Trinity’s Sacramental & Faith Formation Office is looking for a parttime assistant director. In this role, you will have the opportunity to collaborate in the development and implementation of sacrament formation and various parish programs. We are looking for someone who is excited to work with families and has a passion for helping families understand the sacraments. Hours can be flexible, but some evenings and weekends are required. A full job description can be found at: https://htlenexa. org/job-openings. If interested, please send a cover letter and resume to Elyssa Bradfield at: ebradfield@ htlenexa.org or call (913) 895-0673 with questions.
Facilities maintenance/landscaper - The Savior Pastoral and Retreat Center is seeking to hire a facilities maintenance/landscaper. This position will assist with a variety of custodial, maintenance and landscaping tasks for Savior Pastoral Center. For more details or to apply, please visit “Employment Opportunities” at www.archkck.org.
Preschool teacher - St. John Paul II Academy in Olathe is seeking a lead pre-K teacher for the 2025-26 school year. Join us for our inaugural year as we open a pre-K - 8 liberal arts school in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The ideal candidate will have a background in early childhood education and at least one year of experience in the classroom. Montessori formation and experience are preferred. Hours are Monday - Friday from 7:30 - 11:30 a.m. Please direct all inquiries and submit cover letter and resume to: jennykropf@stjpii. org.
Montessori training - Are you called to a deeper understanding of the full human person of the child? Dr. Maria Montessori developed her philosophy and method of education based on the dignity of the child. Mary’s Catholic Montessori Training Center (MCMTC) offers Catholic Montessori training for adult primary guides of children ages 3 - 6 years of age. Learn more at: https://www.mcmtc.org or email: info@mcmtc.org. Come and be formed in the whole of Maria Montessori’s teaching by a team of catechists and Montessorians with a wealth of teaching and training experience, including nationally recognized formation leaders of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Enrollment is now open for summer session beginning in June, and fall beginning in September, with a flexible training schedule. Find out more today!
Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served Faculty job openings - Nursing faculty, full-time evenings; nursing faculty, full-time M - F. Adjunct faculty job openings - Adjunct instructor nursing; Adjunct instructor Accounting; clinical adjunct instructor - nursing; - P.A.S.S. (Preparing Academically Successful Students) - part time. Adjunct faculty Lansing Correctional Campus - Adjunct instructor - math; adjunct instructor - accounting; clinical adjunct instructor - Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Catholic elementary school principal - St. Matthew School in Topeka is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with a passion for Catholic education. The principal will continue the school’s tradition of forming disciples, pursuing academic excellence and spiritual growth. The principal will lead by example and inspire a team of dedicated faculty and staff. Applicants must have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. We also prefer that the candidate be fluent in both Spanish and English. Apply online at: archkckcs.org/apply. For more information, contact Father John Torrez at: jtorrez@archkck.org.
Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served. Job openings: English literacy instructor - P.A.S.S. (Preparing Academically Successful Students) - part time. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Coordinator of Children’s Catechesis - part-time position - Are you looking for a rewarding part-time job in a team-oriented environment? St. Joseph Church in Shawnee is seeking an enthusiastic, organized and faith-filled individual to join our formation team. This role involves coordinating K to 6th-grade religious education for the parish and assisting in the growth of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program across our campus. Interested applicants should apply through the St. Joseph website or email a resume and cover letter to Veronica Quinn at: vquinn@stjoeshawnee.org. For more information, call (913) 244-3909.
Caregivers needed - Daughter & Company is looking for compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide sitter services, light housekeeping and light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.
Administrative assistant - Come join our team! A small family-owned company located in Lenexa is looking for an assistant to answer phones; invoicing; product ordering; some shipping/receiving and to assist the owner. We need a team member who is organized; detailoriented; self-motivated; trustworthy; has a positive attitude and above all else, gives excellent customer service. Schedule flexibility. Send your resume to: YourCareer101@gmail.com.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Shepaint Cabinets - Looking for a stunning, high-quality cabinet transformation? Shepaint Cabinets is a women-owned and operated business. I bring precision, passion and a personal touch to every project. Detail-driven service with a personal touch, reliable, efficient and customer-focused. Your dream kitchen is just a coat of paint away! Call/text (816) 806-4375 for a free quote. Let’s create something beautiful together!
J Heller Construction - A licensed and insured Class A general contractor. Residential and commercial projects. New build, basement finishing, kitchen and bath remodeling, decks, docks, outbuildings and commercial build-outs. Call Jake at (913) 433-6042. Member of St. Joseph, Shawnee.
STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.
Father and Son Home Remodeling - We specialize in kitchen/bathroom and basement remodeling, from start to finish. We also do decks, covered decks, porches, sun-rooms and room additions! If you’re not sure we do it, just call. From my family to yours, thank you for supporting my small business. To contact me, call (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.
Haus To Home Remodeling - Let’s give that room a nice face-lift! Specializing in affordable room remodeling. From small projects to bathrooms and basements. Tile, paint, carpentry, wood rot, decks, drywall, etc. Free estimates. Call Cole at (913) 544-7352.
SERVICES
Tutoring - Summer tutoring available from experienced teacher and tutor. Tutor teaches in a fun and meaningful context. For more information, please call/text Kathleen at (913) 206-2151 or email: Klmamuric@yahoo.com.
CZ Handyman service - 25+ years working in home improvement. Painting, carpentry, flooring, wood rot and much more. Quality work with attention to detail. Clean, honest and fair. Please call Craig at (913) 9899163.
Catholic end-of-life doula, grief coach and spiritual director - Feeling overwhelmed by grief, caring for aging parents, supporting a loved one at life’s end or just need a quiet space to notice where God is active in you life? I am Rhonda, a Catholic end-of-life doula, grief coach and spiritual director. I offer heartfelt guidance and prayerful companionship during difficult times. You don’t have to do this alone. Call me at (913) 954-8574, or visit: www.this-one-life.com.
Double A’s Lawn Service
Lawn mowing, Mulching, Gutters, Leaf Removal Brush Removal & Hedge Trimming Free Estimates & Insured Alex Spoerre (913) 488-5195
Catholic attorney - Offers wills, trusts and guardianship plans to shield your loved ones from court and conflict. Special pricing this month. Call Mike J today to be okay tomorrow. Contact me at: www.KCLegacy Law.com or call (913) 717-5951.
Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured, second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 271-0362.
Garage door repair expert
New Garage Doors Garage Floor Coatings
A Total Door Inc., Since “83. Leaven discount joe@atotaldoor.com or (913) 236-6440.
Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.
!!Early 2025 painting discount!! - At Stone Painting we offer interior and exterior house painting services. Check out our work at: www.stonepaintingkc.com.
Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.
Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footing, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured, references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.
Two men and a brush - Refresh, repaint, renew your home with painting you can trust! Call for a free estimate on your house, deck or fence! Bookings done before June 1 will receive 20% off. Call John at (402) 763-7244.
REAL ESTATE
We are local people who can buy your house - Big companies from all over the nation come here buying houses, but that’s not us. We are parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish and we enjoy giving you personalized service. We can offer you a fair price and are flexible to your needs. If I can help, call me, Mark Edmondson, at (913) 980-4905.
Looking to buy or sell a home? - Buy or sell a home with someone who understands your values. We are a Catholic-owned, faith-driven team of Realtors, dedicated to helping fellow Catholics buy or sell homes in our community. We bring integrity, compassion and a commitment to your needs. Let us be part of your journey. Call Kevin Holmes (owner) at (913) 553-0539.
We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer, (913) 599-5000.
CAREGIVING
Need caregiving at home? Don’t want to move?For nearly 20 years, we have helped seniors stay in their home with personal care, med management and household assistance. We also specialize in dementia care with free dementia training for families, all at reasonable rates and terms. Call Benefits of Home Senior Care at (913) 422-1591.
Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.
FOR SALE
Electric wheelchair Pride: Jazzy EVO Series 613 New 22” base width, holds up to 300 lbs. 17 miles per charge, high-back swivel seat $3,000. Call Lisa at (913) 449-9435
Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC)
For sale - Aluminum wheelchair ramps. Sales and installation customized to your needs. Serving all of northeast Kansas. Call McCourt Construction at (785) 224-4961.
For sale - Trappist monk casket; rectangular, premium-shaped walnut with brass hardware. Stored at Resurrection Cemetery. Purchased January of 2010. Asking $4200; originally $5120 from Iowa monks.
For sale - Mausoleum space for sale at Mt. Calvary Cemetery at 38th and State, Kansas City, Kansas. Located in the Mausoleum True Companion, corridor C, tier A, crypt 38. Includes perpetual care as well as opening and closing. For more information, call (816) 532-4072.
For sale - Two cemetery plots in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery at 6115 Quivira Rd. Located in section G-1, space 7-A, and space 8-A. Asking $5000. If interested, send email to: jobralke@gmail.com.
WANTED TO BUY
Wanted to buy
Do you have a spare car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME! I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.
Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.
$$Paying Cash$$ - Antique Furniture, crocks, tin and cast iron toys, old tools, glassware, American coins, jewelry. Most anything old. Please call Patricia at (913) 515-2950.
Wanted to buy - Antiques & Collectibles: jewelry, military items, railroad, sterling, OLD holiday/toys and more. Renee Maderak (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Classified Advertising
Cost is $20 for the first five lines, $1.50 per line thereafter.
Email: beth.blankenship@theleaven.org
‘EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL: A MISSION OF LIGHT AND LIFE’ Christ’s Peace House of Prayer
22131 Meagher Rd., Easton
May 23 at 5:30 p.m. - May 25 at 4:30 p.m.
Join us for a retreat in celebration of the National Eucharistic Revival’s Year of Mission. Rooted in the teachings of “Lumen Gentium” and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this retreat will explore the church’s call to live as missionary disciples of Christ. Participants will deepen their understanding of the Eucharist as the source and summit of their faith. Participants are eligible for a plenary indulgence for the Jubilee Year 2025 through this retreat. There are conferences, spiritual direction, Eucharistic adoration, Mass, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. Cabins/courtyard rooms: $180 single/$270 couple or single guest rooms: $110. Meals are included. To attend, fill out the individual retreat form online at: ChristsPeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.
VIRTUAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVANCEMENT CONFERENCE
May 28 and 29 from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Join us for live, drop-in webinars on topics ranging from communication, marketing strategies, student retention, donor engagement, website development and more. This event is open to anyone looking to learn about advancing Catholic education. Register online at: archkckcs.org/ register.
‘SILENCE IS THE VOICE OF GOD’: A DIRECTED RETREAT
Precious Blood Renewal Center
2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri
May 29 - June 1
A silent, directed retreat is a personally guided prayer experience over three days. Retreatants meet one-on-one with a trained, experienced spiritual director. For
more details or to register, go online to: programs@pbrenewalcenter.org.
SUMMER STREAM CAMPS
Holy Cross Parish
8101 W. 95th St., Overland Park
June 2 - 27
A variety of camps is offered for incoming kindergartners through eighth-graders. For a short description of camp offerings, with dates and times, go online to: https:// holycrosscatholicschool.com/CurrentFamilies/summer-programs.
WILLS AND TRUSTS WORKSHOP
St. Joseph Parish
104 S. 7th St., Wathena
June 4 at 11:45 a.m.
The speaker will be Casey Connealy, estate planning attorney at Gaughan & Connealy. There will be refreshments and snacks from 11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. The presentation on wills and trusts will be from 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. Register online at: cfnek.org/events or call Jane Schmitt at (913) 647-3060 or send her an email at: jschmitt@archkck.org.
BLESSED STANLEY ROTHER RETREAT
Spiritual Life Center
7100 E. 45th St., Wichita
June 6 at 6 p.m. - June 8 at noon
This retreat will explore the journey of Father Rother. Most of us will not be given the mission of pastoral services in Guatemala, nor be required to lay down our lives as witnesses to the faith in the face of murderous circumstances. Most of us are not invited to thread our way through life and death decisions to minister to people in our care. For more information and to register, go online to: www.slcwichita.org. The cost is $205 for commuters; $255 for a single and $235 for a double. Sign up by June 5 at 6 p.m.
CEF FUTURES PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT
SERV
9051 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park
June 7 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Whether you are a seasoned player or new to the game, grab your paddle and join the fun at the Catholic Education Foundation’s annual pickleball tournament! All proceeds support scholarships for students attending CEF schools in northeast Kansas. Registration is $100 per team (must be 18+), and includes round-robin play, tournament seeding and a commemorative gift. Teacher discounts are available. Register online at: cefks.org/events.
SOCCER CAMPS
Atchison Recreation Sports Complex 825 N. 17th St., Atchison
June 9-12
8:15 a.m. - 9:15 am. (ages 3 - 6)
9:30 a.m. - noon (ages 7 - 12) St. Joseph School 11505 Johnson Drive, Shawnee June 16-19
8:15 a.m. - 9:15 am. (ages 3 - 6)
9:30 a.m. - noon (ages 7 - 12)
The soccer camps will be coached primarily by Benedictine College players and coaches. For more information or to sign up, call (913) 360-0394 or send an email to: ggsoccercamps@gmail.com.
A LOVE THAT NEVER FAILS
Precious Blood Renewal Center
2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri
June 13 - 15
Every marriage has the capacity for enduring love. Join us on the next Worldwide Marriage Encounter experience to discover the graces of the sacrament of matrimony and to explore the tools and daily practices that lead to enduring love. This is a non-
residential experience (no overnight stay). To apply for the experience, go online to: www.wwme4youandme.org. There is a $125 application fee and an opportunity for a freewill donation at the close of the weekend. Send an email to: greaterkc.wwme@ gmail.com for more information.
FATHER MICHAEL KANTANKA’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY AS A PRIEST
St. Leo Parish
1340 First Ave. E., Horton June 29 at 10 a.m.
Father Michael Kantanka will celebrate his 30th anniversary as a priest. The African Men’s Choir will perform at Mass. A meal will follow at noon. Please RSVP online to: smslchurch@rainbowtel.net or call (785) 486-3971.
BAKED CHICKEN DINNER
Divine Mercy Parish
555 W. Main St., Gardner
June 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The dinner will include baked chicken, baked potato, green beans, coleslaw, roll and cookie. Join us for great fun and fellowship. The cost is $13 for those over the age of 10 and free for ages 9 and under. Proceeds are used for charitable works, such as scholarships and other giving throughout the year.
EXPERIENCE A COMMUNITY WITH HEART
Santa Marta Retirement Community 13800 W. 117th St., Olathe Wednesdays from 1-2:30 p.m.
Join us and enjoy a small sample of what life is like at our community. On Walk-in Wednesdays, learn about the Santa Marta community. To RSVP or find a complete list of our upcoming events, call (913) 489-2683; visit the website at: SantaMartaRetirement.com/Events; or call (913) 489-2683 for more information.
10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT POPE LEO XIV
1. Chicagoan
Pope Leo was born Sept. 14, 1955, and grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. His father Louis Marius Prevost was an educator, and his mother Mildred Martínez was a librarian. He has two older brothers, was active in his childhood parish and his brother John says he is a White Sox fan (even though their mom was a Cubs fan). His family is reportedly of French, Italian and Spanish origin, with Creole heritage on his mother’s side. He loves the sport of tennis and plays regularly.
2. Cosmopolitan
While American, Pope Leo has a global perspective, having lived most of his adult life in Peru and Rome. Based on his assignments, it appears that he has spent less than five years combined living in the United States since his 1982 ordination to the priesthood.
3. Augustinian
He is a member of the Order of St. Augustine, a religious order that dates to 1244 and was founded to live the spirituality of early Christians. The order considers St. Augustine, a fifth-century theologian, philosopher and bishop of Hippo, its father. Before ordination, Pope Leo attended St. Augustine Seminary High School in Holland, Michigan, and Villanova University near Philadelphia, both Augustinian institutions. Augustinians are mendicant, meaning that they traditionally survive on begging or their own work, do not hold property and do not spend their life in a single location. Pope Leo is the first Augustinian to assume the chair of Peter, and the second member of a religious order to do so in nearly two centuries — the first being the first Jesuit pope, Pope Francis.
4. Canonist
Pope Leo is a canon lawyer, having received his licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum, in Rome. He wrote his doctoral thesis on “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.” For nearly a decade he served the Archdiocese of Trujillo, Peru, as its judicial vicar, which oversees the diocesan tribunal. During that time he was also a professor of canon, patristic and moral law in the San Carlos e San Marcelo Major Seminary.
5. Leader
Pope Leo has an impressive range of leadership experience. After several pastoral and seminary formation roles in Chicago and Peru, he was elected in 1999 to oversee his order’s province in Chicago, and then two years later, he took the helm of the order worldwide. He was reelected for a second six-year term, ultimately holding the Romebased position for 12 years. Then, in 2014, Pope Francis appointed him to oversee the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, a role he held for nine years and that included a yearlong stint as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Callao, Peru, whose see city is nearly 500 miles south of Chiclayo. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Bishops, which oversees the appointments of bishops worldwide.
6. Baby boomer
At age 69, Pope Leo is seven years younger than Pope Francis was when he was elected in 2013, and nine years younger than Pope Benedict XVI when he was elected in 2005. He is 11 years older than St. John Paul II, who was 58 at his 1978 election.
7. Socially minded
His name is an apparent nod to Pope Leo XIII, who led the church from 1878 until 1903 and is especially known for his 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” or “On the Condition of the Working Classes.” That document responded to the state of the industrial society at the end of the 19th century and cemented Pope Leo XIII’s position as the modern father of Catholic social doctrine. Pope Leo XIII also composed the popular St. Michael prayer, penned an 1879 encyclical calling for the rooting of Christian philosophy in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, and issued an 1899 apostolic letter condemning “Americanism,” a worldview he feared was held by American prelates that bolstered American values such as pluralism and individualism to the detriment of Catholic teaching.
By Maria Wiering OSV News
8. Peace bearer
Pope Leo’s first words to the world were “Peace be with you” on a balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking masses of people in the square. “Beloved brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who has given his life for the flock of God,” he continued. “I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, reach your families, to all people, wherever they may be, to all peoples, to all the earth. . . . This is the peace of the risen Christ, a disarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.”
9. Polyglot
Pope Leo speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese, and he reads Latin and German. He gave his first greeting May 8 in Italian but switched to Spanish to greet the faithful of his former Diocese of Chiclayo before giving the “urbi et orbi” blessing in Latin. On May 9, he began his first public homily with English but preached most of it in Italian.
10. Successor of Peter
On his first full day as pope May 9, Pope Leo preached before the College of Cardinals who elected him, speaking of an exchange between Jesus and St. Peter, the first pope. He called the church “an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world. And this, not so much through the magnificence of her structures or the grandeur of her buildings — like the monuments among which we find ourselves — but rather through the holiness of her members.”