An increase in Catholics in the Easter season

Dear readers and listeners, in case you missed me on Relevant Radio yesterday (this was before our new Pope was announced), I joined the show to discuss with John the reported increase in new Catholics across the US and the world at Easter. These are adult converts, and this is the second year in a row where a marked increase has happened. I maintain it’s the tumult of the COVID years that caused people to search for meaning and find it, obviously, in the practice of the faith. All good news, all around! You can listen here around minute 17:11.

May you continue to have a blessed and joyful Easter!

An American Pope!

I am as surprised and thrilled as the rest of the US (Chicago especially) that our new Pope, Pope Leo XIV, has been elected - the first American Pope. I audibly gasped as I watched.

Moments before he was announced, while I watched the Vatican News coverage, I saw an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that someone was waving, in that sea of flags. It struck me in my heart in an odd way, and not just because I have a devotion to her. I wondered, will the new Pope be from Mexico (I don’t even know if there are Mexican cardinals)? But no - she is the patroness of the Americas, which includes the US. Isn’t that something!

All Catholics need to do now is pray. Forget whatever “camp,” politically, you are in, or you think he is in. He’s not, whatever you think, because the Church is above and outside politics, including American politics. What stood out to me, aside from his words that evil will not prevail, was his emotion. He was visibly moved and held back tears before he spoke so clearly. It demonstrated depth and humility, and a recognition of the gravity of the moment. How proud his mama would be.

What a joyful moment for the Church and the world! Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV, for the Church, and for all the human race as we, in the words of the Pope, “go forward.!”

Prayers for the papal conclave

The papal conclave begins on May 7. What’s a papal conclave? It’s the gathering of cardinals to choose the next pope. Pray More Novenas has begun a very helpful novena, a nine-day prayer, that anyone can pray in the lead up to this world-changing event. See the novena here: Novena for the Papal Conclave

What sorts of things should you pray for? First, we continue to pray for Pope Francis, that he may see the face of God in Heaven. Next, we pray for the global Church and all the faithful. We pray for the cardinals and any and all influences on their decision making, that they be guided by wisdom and the Holy Spirit. And we we pray especially for that person who will be chosen to serve as the successor of Peter.

I hope that when we get to “meet” the new pope, it is hopeful. I see many treating this process as if it were a political election, and that the new candidate needs to be properly “liberal” or “conservative.” But it doesn’t work like that. The Church is outside of politics, and whoever serves will most likely upset people on both “left” and “right” because the Church in its mission to serve the poor and gather God’s people will always do so in a way that is contrary to the ways of this earth. By necessity, really. So when he’s announced, let’s not all jump on how he’s going to be. He may be whatever way the media says he will be, or he won’t. The Holy Spirit isn’t seeking CNN’s approval.

Our job now is to pray. Let’s do so with hope in our hearts and faith in God’s will for His Church.