Still reveling in the aftermath of the election and installation of Pope Leo XIV, I am blown away by Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the first U.S.-born pope — a pontiff who personifies the universality of the Catholic Church and whose motto is “In the One, we are one.”
If I’m honest, it’s not always easy to be Catholic—especially as someone from a minority group. Being both Black and Catholic often means standing in the minority in both the Catholic Church and within the broader Black community.
Being in St. Peter’s Square at the moment a new Holy Father was elected is an experience I will never forget. I hadn’t expected to see the white smoke. My flight home was scheduled for the next morning, and I had already made peace with the idea that I would miss the announcement.
Pope Francis wrote in his 2025 Jubilee announcement, “Spes Non Confundit,” that “hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.”
Pope Francis was, without question, the most important and most influential religious and theological figure of the 21st century, not just for Roman Catholics, not just for Christians, but for Jews as well.
To my surprise, he came right over to me. Pope Francis was suddenly standing before me. The first thing I thought to do was ask him for a miracle. He smiled at me and placed his hand on my head for a blessing.
Anddy Ferreira, a parishioner at St. Sebastian Church in Woodside Queens, details his experience of undergoing cancer treatment during Holy Week.
We are rounding the clubhouse turn. We are opening up our stance. We can see the finish line growing closer and closer with every gallop along the way. Welcome to Palm Sunday!
What is mission? How does the adventure of working for the good of people and perhaps making some converts in a minority-Christian country play out in the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang, the second city of Buddhist Cambodia?
Being shepherded through the silent majesty of the Last Frontier made me think of our personal journeys with the Lord. In many ways, we are the lead husky. We each have a pack in tow … who rely on our steadfastness and decision-making.
