Dear Friends,
Pope Francis “established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalized, the least among us. He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone. He was also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.” In these words, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re characterized the late Pope.
Pope Francis visited the most remote areas of the globe, sometimes even war zones. His close contact with a parish in the Gaza Strip, which he maintained since the war between Israel and Hamas began in 2023, stood out for me particularly. Even from his hospital bed and while very ill, he stayed in touch with those Palestinian parishioners through video call or text message daily at 8 p.m.!
Pope Francis visiting prisoners on Holy Thursday
The Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of this only Roman Catholic church in Gaza, says Pope Francis would ask how he and his people were and send them his blessing. During a war that has killed over 50,000, injured and traumatized many, and turned virtually all the homes of residents and even hospitals into rubble, the parish has offered shelter to hundreds, Christians and Muslims. By keeping in touch faithfully, Pope Francis showed his solidarity with the suffering and mourning people in Gaza and so brought them peace and hope.
Pope Francis often ended his speeches by saying, “Do not forget to pray for me.” Now we may ask Pope Francis, as Cardinal Re suggested, to pray for us and the whole world from heaven. I feel we can attribute the election of Card. Robert F. Prevost as Pope Leo XIV also to his intercession!
From St. Benedict Center I can report that Brother Samuel, the new manager of bookstore, has brought new life to the store and extended its opening hours; you can find them on our website. – Especially worth noting among our upcoming events is the retreat titled, To Love and Be Loved on July 25 - 27. Our former prior, Fr. Mauritius Wilde from Rome/Italy, will direct it, together with our Oblate Jodi Gehr, drawing wisdom from the Rule of St. Benedict for all Christian in walks of life. – I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!
Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB, Administrator