Fr. Tom’s Letters

Each week Fr. Tom writes a letter to parishioners in our bulletin. Every letter is comprehensive, including current information about the Parish, an explanation of Scripture for that Sunday, and an invitation to become more engaged in the life of the parish.

May 11, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

POPE LEO XIV!!!!

What an exciting Thursday afternoon! The Holy Spirit has given to us a new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. This gift to the Church and the world was not expected by most and stunned many. Few of us imagined that a pope would be one that is an American. His boyhood in Chicago, his family experience with parents of French, Italian, and Spanish descent, his Villanova education, his life as a missionary, parish pastor, seminary teacher, Peruvian missionary, Prior General of the Augustinian Order, Bishop and Cardinal all combine for a beautiful experience of faith, family, service, education, and leadership that along with the gift of the Holy Spirit and the grace of his new vocation as Holy Father excites us and gives great promise for the future.

Among his many experiences most recently, we can observe that he had an individual meeting with Pope Francis on a nearly weekly basis. His words on greeting the world for the first time as Pope revealed his great appreciation and fondness for Pope Francis, his predecessor. I was captivated by his opening words, “Peace be with you,” words of greeting from the Risen Lord.

We will learn so much about Pope Leo XIV in the days and months ahead. I know I will miss Pope Francis; at the same time, I believe Pope Leo XIV will bring much excitement to the Church, the world, and the United States.

As Pope Leo brings us many experiences and a unique background as Pope, we need to reflect on our welcome and reception of Pope Leo. We give him our openness, our loyalty, and our prayers. As a missionary, we can be confident that he will encourage us to be a very welcoming Church, offering an embrace to all, as he indicated in his opening words. Pope Leo spoke of being a bridge builder; he will remind us of the call to unity in the Church. Note his personal motto: “In the one Christ, we are one.” Educated in the Augustinian tradition, and as a leader of the Augustinian religious community, he will call us to a reverence and respect for truth. We feel delight that he is an American; may we be inspired by his missionary spirit, his spirit of a welcoming embrace, and his reverence for the Peace of the Risen Lord. Most of all, as we hear his name proclaimed in the Eucharistic prayer at Mass, may we be fervent in our prayer for Pope Leo XIV!

Peace Be With You

Fr. Tom

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