Habemus Papam!

Cheering at our first sight of Pope Leo XIV!

We join the entire Church in rejoicing at the election of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV! We were celebrating Sr. Denise Marie’s Golden Jubilee of Profession (more about that in a later post!) with a talking meal in the community room when we got the news that white smoke was billowing from the Sistine Chapel. Immediately we tuned in to the Vatican News and waited with great excitement to discover who the new pope would be.

As the announcement was made, “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam!” we caught the words Prevost and Leonem Decimum Quartum. Cardinal Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV! We were thrilled. The nuns were every bit as excited as the crowd in St. Peter’s Square as Pope Leo made his first appearance. We are praying intently for our new Holy Father as he shoulders the tremendous burden of leading the Church of Christ.

In the days leading up to the Conclave, we played a fun game where each sister cast a “ballot” guessing which cardinal might be elected as pope. Two sisters correctly guessed Cardinal Prevost! It was a lighthearted way to enter into the days of preparation for the election of the Pope, along with our many prayers. We made a novena as a community that the Holy Spirit would guide the election, and on the morning of the opening of the Conclave, we celebrated the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff.

May God abundantly bless our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV!

One of the rules for our guessing game was that you must wear the red cardinal hat while making your guess!