Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we progress through these 50 days of Eastertide we can certainly say it has been quite eventful.  With the passing of Pope Francis and the expectation of a new Holy Father we have been occupied with the temporality of human life and the continuity of life as well.  As of this writing, we do not yet have a successor to St. Peter but whomever he may be, we pledge our heartfelt prayers and devoted obedience in all things necessary regarding our Faith.

    We cannot imagine the immensity of this calling to serve Christ and His Church that is why our prayers are vital for him to accomplish the ministry to which he has been called.  And how very appropriate that all of this is unfolding in the light of this Sunday’s Good Shepherd Gospel.  The Fourth Sunday of Easter has always been designated under this particular title to impose upon us the necessity to pray not only for the Holy Father as Pope but also to pray for those who are called to collaborate with him as bishops and priests in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.

      So as you offer prayers and sacrifices for the Pope please implore our Divine Lord to call men to serve Him in the Holy Priesthood.  You are only too well aware of the decline of vocations.  Young men, for whatever reason, are reluctant to make the commitment of offering their lives completely and humbly to Christ and His Church.  Only our prayers and support can encourage them to. As St. Pope John Paul II said: “put out into the depth”, trusting in the Lord Who never abandons us.

      And speaking of the new Pope, as I mentioned in last week’s  message, you may have the opportunity to greet him in Rome accompanying me on the Jubilee pilgrimage from November 5th to the 15th, 2025.  All information can be found on the ProRome website: https://prorometours.com/jubilee2025/.I have been chaplain on a number of ProPome pilgrimages and have the highest praise for their expertise and professionalism.

With Blessings,

Father Langan