reflections, updates and homilies from Deacon Mike Talbot inspired by the following words from my ordination: Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach...
Abbot A member of a noble family in Auvergne, France, he entered the Benedictine monastery of Cluny about 990 and received election as abbot in 994. He was beloved and respected throughout Europe for his deep austerities and his concern for the poor. In 1006, he even sold treasures of the Church to feed the poor during a famine. Through his efforts, the monasteries belonging to Cluny increased from thirty-seven to sixty-five. He also helped bring about the Truce of God and the feast of All Soul’s Day and was a trusted advisor to popes and kings. He was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Incarnation. Fulbert of Chartres called him Archangelus Monachorum, Archangel of Monks. Odilo died on January 1 while touring his monasteries.
Pope appeals for peace and development efforts in the Sahel region
Pope Leo XIV launches an appeal for sustained efforts to promote peace and development throughout Africa’s Sahel region.
By Linda Bordoni and Nathan Morley
Speaking during the Regina Coeli address on Sunday, Pope Leo XVI expressed concern for the volatile situation in the Sahel region that stretches across the southernmost latitudes of North Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea.
“I have learned with concern of the news regarding the increase in violence in the Sahel region, particularly in Chad and in Mali, where recent terrorist attacks have struck,” the Pope said, speaking on the day after a meeting in the Vatican with representatives of the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel.
He assured his prayers for the victims, expressed his closeness to all who suffer, and voiced an appeal for sustained efforts to promote peace.
“I hope that every form of violence may cease, and I encourage every effort for peace and development in that beloved land", the Pope said.
“I hope that every form of violence may cease, and I encourage every effort for peace and development in that beloved land.”
In addition to its ecological and climatic significance as it marks the transition zone between the more humid Sudanian savannas to its south and the drier Sahara to the north, the region is a geopolitical space long shaped by internal instability and external strategic competition.
The climate crisis continues to cause frequent shortages of food and water, and government corruption has given rise to coups, insurgencies, and terrorism.
Instability, terrorism, humanitarian crisis
Violent extremist groups are expanding their reach across the Sahel, deepening a long-running humanitarian emergency and raising concerns about wider instability on the continent.
The belt of territory from Senegal to Eritrea has struggled for decades with overlapping security, political and climate pressures.
Since the 1960s, weak state institutions, economic decline and worsening environmental stress have fueled cycles of conflict that routinely spill across borders.
In Mali, more than 30 people were killed on Thursday in two attacks in the country’s center, according to local officials.
The assaults, claimed by the al‑Qaida‑linked JNIM, follow a wave of coordinated strikes on the ruling junta earlier this month.
A network of West African reporters tracking Sahel security, WAMAPS, said preliminary counts indicated more than 50 villagers may have died, with others unaccounted for.
International counterterrorism missions have receded in recent years, and regional cooperation has weakened, creating openings for armed groups to consolidate control in rural areas.
The Sahel remains a major corridor for migrants traveling from sub‑Saharan Africa toward North Africa and Europe.
Analysts warn that renewed violence could sharply increase displacement, adding pressure on coastal states and European destinations.
Loving God, as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children,
so you give life and care for your Church.
Bless these women, as we celebrate this day in their honor.
May they be strengthened as Christian mothers.
Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor and appreciate them
with a spirit of profound respect.
May the example of Mary, mother of Jesus, inspire them to live their
vocation as Christian mothers and call their children to faith.
Guide and protect them in challenging times and help them to continue
to trust in you all the days of their life.
Pope Leo XIV sends greetings to His Holiness Pope Tawadros on the annual “Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship, praises the welcoming spirit of the citizens of the Canary Islands, and wishes all mothers Happy Mothers’ Day.
By Linda Bordoni
Mother's Day is celebrated in over 40 countries across the world on the second Sunday in May, and Pope Leo XIV did not neglect to dedicate a special thought to all mothers.
Speaking after the recitation of the Regina Coeli prayer in St Peter's Square, the Pope said, “Through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, let us pray with affection and gratitude for every mother, especially for those living in the most difficult conditions,” he said.
“Let us pray with affection and gratitude for every mother, especially for those living in the most difficult conditions.”
Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship
The Pope also had fraternal greetings for the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, as he recalled that “On May 10 each year, the 'Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship’ is celebrated.”
“I extend a fraternal greeting to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and assure my prayers for the entire beloved Coptic Church, in the hope that our journey of friendship may lead us to perfect unity in Christ, who has called us ‘friends,'" he added.
Gratitude to the Canary Islands
Pope Leo also had words of gratitude for the “welcoming spirit that characterizes the people of the Canary Islands.”
Noting that the Canary Islands have allowed passengers of the “Hondius Cruise Ship with hantavirus patients on board,” he said he is happy “to be able to meet you next month during my visit to the islands”.
The Pope is scheduled, in fact, to undertake an apostolic journey to Spain from 6 to 12 June, and he will spend the last two days of the trip on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where he will meet with migrants and organization's dedicated to helping them.
Pope at Regina Caeli: 'It is Jesus' love that begets love within us'
During his Regina Caeli address in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV reminds the faithful that Jesus loves us forever and unconditionally, and that His love for us moves us to love others.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
"The Lord does not leave us alone in life's trials," Pope Leo XIV reassured the faithful during his Regina Caeli address in the Vatican on Sunday.
Before reciting the midday Marian prayer of the Easter season, the Holy Father reflected on the day's Gospel according to St. John, in which, Jesus, at the Last Supper, says to His disciples, 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments.'
"This statement," Pope Leo said, "frees us from the misconception that we are loved because we keep the commandments as if our righteousness were a prerequisite for God’s love." On the contrary, he stated, "God’s love is the condition for our righteousness."
"We truly keep the commandments, according to God’s will," he explained, "when we recognize His love for us, just as Christ revealed it to the world," clarifying that Jesus' words therefore are "an invitation to enter into a relationship, not a blackmail or a suspicious ultimatum."
Jesus' love is what produces love in us
Precisely for this reason, Pope Leo explained, the Lord commands us to love one another as He has loved us.
"It is Jesus’ love that begets love within us," the Holy Father highlighted, noting, "Christ himself is the standard, the measure of true love: the love that is faithful forever, pure and unconditional."
"Because God loves us first," he noted, "we too can love; and when we truly love God, we truly love one another."
Pope Leo explained that the same is true for life itself, noting, "only those who have received life can live, so too, only those who have been loved can love."
Thus, he called the Lord’s Commandments "a way of life that heals us from false loves, and a spiritual lifestyle that is a path towards salvation."
The Lord promises to stay with us
Precisely because Christ loves us, the Holy Father said, He does not leave us alone in life’s trials, rather "He promises us the Paraclete, that is, the Advocate, the 'Spirit of truth.'"
Even amid the world's evils, he suggested, we are called to "bear witness to God, who is love, always and everywhere."
During our mission to love, the Pope warned against that which tries to impede even our best efforts.
While the Holy Spirit is the power of truth, the Pope warned of "the Accuser," the “father of lies,” who seeks to oppose God and turn people against one another.
Finally, Pope Leo concluded by calling on the faithful to be grateful for the Lord's unconditional and enduring love and to entrust ourselves to the intercession of His mother, the Virgin Mary.
Feastday: May 10 Patron: of people with leprosy Birth: 1840 Death: 1889 Beatified: June 4th, 1995, Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg), Brussels, by Pope John Paul II Canonized: October 11th, 2009, Vatican City, by Pope Benedict XVI
The man who would become St. Damien of Molokai, was born in rural Belgium, on January 3, 1840. His name was Jozef De Veuster, and he was the youngest of seven children. Growing up on the farm, Jozef was prepared to take over for his family, but he did not want the responsibility. Instead, he wanted to follow his older brother and two sisters who took religious vows.
Jozef attended school until the age of 13 when his help was needed on the family farm full-time. He aided his family until he was old enough to enter the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He took the name Damien, after a sixth century martyr.
In 1864, Damien’s brother who was also in the same order of religious, was ordered to Hawaii. But his brother became ill, so Br. Damien offered to go in his place.
The brothers worried that Br. Damien was too uneducated to become a priest, although he was not considered unintelligent. Br. Damien demonstrated his ability by quickly learning Latin from his brother. He was also devoted in prayer, Br. Damien prayed each day before an icon of Saint Francis Xavier to be sent on a mission.
Eventually, his religious brothers agreed to send him and have him ordained.
Br. Damien arrived in Hawaii in March 1864 and was ordained as a priest on the island of Hawaii two months later. For nine years, he worked on the island as a priest, leading an important, yet undistinguished life.
In 1866, Hawaii established a leper colony on the Kalaupapa Peninsula. It was still mistakenly believed that leprosy was highly contagious. This belief resulted in the forced quarantine of leprosy patients.
These people still needed spiritual and medical care, so to Fr. Damien discerned his call to serve them. In 1873, Fr. Damien made the trip to be with these people in their colony.
Upon arrival, he found the colony was poorly maintained. Anarchy reigned among the people living there. Many patients required treatment but had nobody to care for them. Other patients took to drinking and became severe alcoholics. Every kind of immorality and misbehavior was on display in the lawless colony. There was no law or order.
Fr. Damien realized the people needed leadership, so he provided it. He asked people to come together to build houses and schools and eventually the parish church, St. Philomena. The church still stands today.
The sick were cared for and the dead buried. Order and routine made the colony livable. Fr. Damien personally provided much of the care the people needed.
He was supposed to only work in the colony for a time then he would be replaced by one of three other volunteers for the work. But the leper colony was to become his permanent home. After working with the people for a time Fr. Damien grew attached to the people and his work. He asked permission to stay at the colony to serve. His request was granted.
Leprosy is not as contagious as most people of the period assumed, however five percent of the human population is susceptible. The disease can also take several years to show symptoms.
Fr. Daminen became one of those people. He contracted leprosy in 1885, after several years of work. He realized he had the disease when he placed his foot into scalding water by accident, but felt no pain. This was a common way by which people discovered they were infected. Leprosy attacks nerve endings and a victim may hurt themselves but not feel any pain.
Fr. Damien continued his work, despite his illness, which slowly took over his body. He derived strength from prayer and devotion. He often went to the cemetery to pray the Rosary or spent time in the presence of the Eucharist. “It is at the foot of the altar that we find the strength we need in our isolation,” he wrote.
By all accounts, Fr. Daminen was courageous, headstrong and resilient. His personal toughness served to inspire others. He was also reportedly very happy, a common phenomenon for those who pray and work hard to serve others and the Lord.
After sixteen years in the colony, Fr. Damien succumbed to leprosy on April 15, 1889. He was first buried nearby, then his remains were transferred to Belgium in 1936. His right hand was returned to Hawaii in 1995 to be reburied in his original grave at Molokai.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Brussels, Belgium on June 4, 1995. His sainthood was confirmed on October 11, 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI. His feast day is May 10.
The day of his passing, April 15, is a minor statewide holiday in Hawaii.
Saint Damien is the patron saint of people suffering from leprosy.
US diocese to build shrine for Venerable Fr. Tolton, first US Black priest
The Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, in the United States, announces plans to build a shrine to Venerable Father Augustine Tolton, whose story of overcoming racial discrimination and divisions in his time continues to be a source of inspiration to promote peace and unity.
By Isabella H. de Carvalho
Venerable Father Augustine Tolton—the first publicly recognized Black priest in the United States—surmounted racial tensions and divisions that marked the country in the 19th century and lived a full life serving the Church and its faithful, while being loved by many.
Now his life story and witness are set to reach many more people as the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, where he grew up and ministered, announced on April 29 that they plan to build a shrine in his honor at St. Boniface Church, in the city of Quincy.
Father Augustine Tolton “overcame all the divisions of his time and he did so with peace, hope and love,” said Father Steven Arisman, Chairman of the Committee for The Shrine for Father Augustine Tolton and pastor of St. Francis Solanus Parish in Quincy, in an interview with Vatican News.
“His story teaches us how to do the same in our own time, with the divisions we see in our world today.”
Fr. Tolton’s cause for canonization was formally opened in 2010, and in 2019 he was recognized as a Venerable—the second of the four steps towards sainthood—by Pope Francis. If a miracle is attributed to his intercession, he can then be recognized as Blessed, and if then a second miracle is confirmed then he can be declared a Saint.
An example of perseverance in the face of adversity
Fr. Tolton was born into slavery in 1854 in Missouri. When he was still a child he escaped with his mother and siblings to Illinois and settled in Quincy. Although slavery was officially abolished in 1865, African Americans continued facing a lot of discrimination and even in Quincy Fr. Tolton had to change schools twice to be able to pursue an education.
He was also confronted with religious divisions, as when he was 24 years old he opened the first school for Black children in Quincy but was met with opposition from African American Protestants who refused to send their children there as he was Catholic.
Fr. Arisman highlighted how Venerable Tolton didn’t let this be a source of tension or “something that brought him down,” but rather he used it “as an opportunity to continue to reach across and welcome all peoples to show them the gift of education in the life of the faith.”
As he grew older, Fr. Tolton discerned a call to the priesthood, but no American seminary would accept him as a Black man. He was thus admitted in 1880 to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome as a seminarian for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fidei), the entity of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and which today has become the Dicastery for Evangelization.
He was ordained on April 24, 1886, in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome and sent back to his home diocese to serve the faithful there. He became known for his zealous preaching, his humility and his attention to the poorest and marginalized.
For Fr. Arisman, what we can learn from Fr. Tolton’s story today is his “perseverance in the face of great trial, perseverance in great difficulty, and perseverance in that hope that Jesus is the one who saves us.”
His is a story of “unity with Christ, who is our Salvation, but also of how to live in harmony with one another, how to find a way to overcome divisions and tensions so that we can find a common ground.”
Additionally, Venerable Tolton “not only experienced a great difficulty with racial division, but also with priestly jealousy,” Fr. Arisman explained.
“He was so loved as a preacher and pastor in this area. There were many priests that did not particularly like the fact that he was loved above them.”
In this regard, Fr. Tolton faced harassment and discrimination from a German priest from a nearby parish. This situation led to Tolton being moved to Chicago, where he served the city’s Black Catholics until his death from a heat stroke in 1897. He was then buried in Quincy.
“He dealt with every kind of division and every kind of difficulty in his life with such peace, tranquility, and perseverance. That really teaches us how to look to Christ as the foundation of what we're doing and who we are,” Fr. Arisman said.
A Shrine that brings people together
Today, Fr. Tolton's story and witness continue to bring people together. At the launch event for the shrine in Quincy there were people from all walks of life, including local politicians and Protestant and Catholic representatives.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois blessed a commemorative plaque during the event. Bishop Joseph Perry, retired auxiliary bishop of Chicago, and diocesan postulator of Fr. Tolton's cause, was also present.
Fr. Arisman underlined how Fr. Tolton “really teaches us to come together” and noted that even the committee to build the shrine is very diverse. “We have people of other faith backgrounds. We have some people who are not of any faith at all, but they love Tolton’s story.”
“Throughout the world, but also in the United States, to have a story like Tolton’s that can unite us in speaking of Christ, really helps reach out to people who I think would otherwise not be involved,” he emphasized.
“The most important thing is to tell the story of Jesus Christ, because Tolton lived his entire life for Him.”
The Shrine will be located at the site where Fr. Tolton offered his first public Mass in Quincy and where later St. Boniface Church was built. The church was closed in 2020 and has since fallen into disrepair. The launch event was also to begin raising funds, as it is estimated that the cost to renovate the space will be over $5 million.
Fr. Arisman also pointed out the importance of having the Shrine in Quincy, which is where he says Venerable Tolton’s heart was, as it represented for him a “place of freedom” and “of welcome and hospitality.”
Get to know Father “Gus”
For Fr. Arisman the construction of the Shrine is an opportunity for Venerable Tolton’s story to go beyond Quincy and the United States and encourage more people to get to know him and turn to him in prayer.
“One thing I tell people all the time is, get to know good Father “Gus”, as he was called. You will have a good friend for the rest of your life,” he said.
“He's such a wonderful friend and confidant, somebody you can turn to for intercession, guidance and inspiration in his story.”
Pope: Never instrumentalize God for military, economic, or political gain
Addressing representatives of Muslim communities of Senegal, Pope Leo XIV called for religions to work together toward peace and warned against instrumentalizing God for military, economic, or political gain.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
"We together assume our common responsibility: to condemn every form of discrimination and persecution founded on race, religion, or origin; to reject every instrumentalization of the name of God for military, economic, or political gain; to raise our voice in favor of every minority that suffers."
Pope Leo XIV made this statement during his encounter with representatives of Muslim communities of Senegal, alongside representatives of the Catholic Church in the country.
Safeguard your fraternity and peaceful coexistence
The Holy Father began his remarks by calling the meeting a significant expression of friendship and of a common commitment to promoting an inclusive, peaceful, and fraternal society.
He also recalled that Senegal embodies hospitality and solidarity and demonstrates and serves as a model of peaceful coexistence among Christians, Muslims, and believers of other traditions. It is a reality, he said, that constitutes the foundation of dialogue among peoples who are different because of their religious affiliation and ethnic origin.
"This treasure of fraternity must be safeguarded with care," he said, noting it is "a precious good not only for your nation, but also for the whole of humanity."
Threats to peace in Africa
However, Pope Leo went on to lament challenges in Africa.
"Unfortunately," he said, "armed conflicts persist on the African continent, generating grave humanitarian shortages and profound inequalities that every day put entire populations to the test, without forgetting the disturbing increase in violent extremism."
Added to this, he noted, are "growing flows of migrants and refugees, hateful speech that poisons the social fabric, the weakening of the family bond, and the erosion of ethical and spiritual reference points, particularly among the young."
In this context, he said, the values embodied by the spirit of “teranga” and interreligious dialogue are "a precious instrument" for easing tensions and building lasting peace.
"By fostering interreligious dialogue and involving religious leaders in mediation and reconciliation initiatives," Pope Leo said, "politics and diplomacy can make use of moral forces capable of calming tensions, preventing radicalizations, and promoting a culture of esteem and mutual respect."
Need for diplomacy and religious dialogue founded on truth and peace
Today, Pope Leo said, the world needs diplomacy and religious dialogue founded on peace, justice, and truth.
"Together, we, Christians and Muslims," he said, "believe that every human being is shaped by the hands of God, and therefore clothed with a dignity that no law nor any human power has the right to confiscate."
The Pope therefore noted that upon this foundation of fraternity, and with faith and humanity at its roots, religions must together reject the instrumentalization of God’s name, especially for military, economic, and political gains; condemn persecution and discrimination; and protect suffering minorities.
"As I said in Bamenda in Cameroon," Pope Leo recalled, "'woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.'"
Working together for the good of humanity
The Holy Father expressed his prayer that God, the Almighty, may cause the desire to understand one another better, to listen to one another, and to live together in respect and fraternity to be reborn. "May He grant you the courage to follow the path of dialogue, to respond to conflicts with gestures of fraternity, and to open your heart to others, without fearing differences."
Finally, the Holy Father prayed that their commitment in favor of peace, justice, and fraternity may bear abundant fruits, leading to ever-deeper collaboration among the different parties for the good of humanity.
