My Dear Friends:

“Peace be with you all!” Those were the first words that our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, directed towards all of us when he walked out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on May 8. These were the words of the Risen Christ to the apostles on the first Easter
Sunday.

We have a Pope! The joy we all felt when seeing the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost announced as the next Vicar of Christ caused excitement in our school with our children as they saw this historic moment play out on television. Let us recall those first words:

Peace be with you all!

Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for God’s flock. I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you!

It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally…

We can still hear the faint yet ever courageous voice of Pope Francis as he blessed Rome, the Pope who blessed Rome, who gave his blessing to the world, the whole world, on the morning of Easter. Allow me to extend that same blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! All of us are in God’s hands. So, let us move forward, without fear, together, hand in hand with God and with one another other! We are followers of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge that can lead us to God and his love. Help us, one and all, to build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at peace. Thank you, Pope Francis!

I also thank my brother Cardinals, who have chosen me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk together with you as a Church, united, ever pursuing peace and justice, ever seeking to act as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, in order to proclaim the Gospel without fear, to be missionaries.

I am an Augustinian, a son of Saint Augustine, who once said, “With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.” In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us.

A special greeting to the Church of Rome! Together, we must look for ways to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges and encourages dialogue, a Church ever open to welcoming, like this Square with its open arms, all those who are in need of our charity, our presence, our readiness to dialogue and our love. (First Urbi et Orbi, 5/8/2025)

This humble Augustinian father was elected to walk in the Shoes of the Fisherman, and we are called to walk with him, and more importantly, to pray for him!
May God bless Pope Leo XIV!

But this was not the only bit of good news we received last week. Last Sunday, I announced that the relics of our patroness, St. Therese of Lisieux, would be traveling from France to the United States this fall, and they will be making a three day stop here in the Church of the Little Flower on December 2, 3, 4! What a gift for our parish as we celebrate our Centennial year as St. Therese comes to visit us as she did back in 1999. Many details are yet to be planned as we prepare for this historic visit, but we will have a Mass with the Archbishop to welcome the relics on Tuesday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m. Veteran parishioners will tell you of the overwhelming number of pilgrims that descended upon our church when the relics last visited 26 years ago. We must commit ourselves to be apostles of hospitality during those blessed days, and welcome everyone with open arms.

We are indeed blessed! We have received abundant blessings these last ten days. Let us continue with the spirit of Easter and announce to the whole world what Christ and his Vicar, Pope Leo, announced to all of us: “Peace be with you all!”

God bless you all,