Religious Education

On Thursday we gathered with joyful love and gratitude,  to celebrate our Mother’s Day Mass. Mother's Day provides us with an intentional opportunity to celebrate God’s treasured gifts to us; our mums, grandmothers and special women in our lives who care for us and love us.  They show us God’s unconditional, tender love. We honour all mothers, those who are present with us, those who are far away, and those  who have died and are with God but live on in our hearts. 

Through the love they show, the way they nurture and care for us, mothers help us to understand what God is like. We especially remember Mary, Mother of Jesus, and mother to us all.

        We have a new Pope Pope Leo XIV!!

Cardinal Robert Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, has been elected the 267th pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.

The 69-year-old is the first North American to be elected pope and, before the conclave, was the US cardinal most mentioned as a potential successor of St. Peter. 

The white smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 6.07pm Rome time and a few minutes later the bells of St Peter’s Basilica began to ring.

French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to announce the much awaited news “I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope, Habemus papam,” Cardinal Mamberti told the crowd, saying the cardinal’s name in Latin and announcing the name by which he will be called.

Ten minutes later, the new Pope Leo came out onto the balcony, smiling and waving to the crowd to give his first public blessing, urbi et orbi (to the city and the world).

The crowd shouted repeatedly, “Viva il papa” or “Long live the pope” 

“Peace be with you,” were Pope Leo’s first words to the crowd.

“My dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock,” he said, praying that Christ’s peace would enter people’s hearts, their families and “the whole earth.”

The peace of the risen Lord, he said, is “a peace that is unarmed and disarming.”

Signalling strong continuity with the papacy of Pope Francis, Pope Leo told the crowd that God “loves all of us unconditionally” and that the Church must be open to everyone.

“We are all in God’s hands,” he said, so “without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other, let us go forward.”

He thanked the cardinals who elected him, apparently on the fourth ballot of the conclave, “to be the successor of Peter and to walk with you as a united Church always seeking peace, justice” and together being missionary disciples of Christ.

Telling the crowd that he was an Augustinian, he quoted St Augustine, who said, “With you I am a Christian and for you, a bishop.”

“Together we must try to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges and always dialogues, that is always open to receiving everyone like this square with its arms open to everyone, everyone in need,” he said.

After asking the crowd to recite the Hail Mary with him, Pope Leo gave his first solemn blessing.

At this moment of renewal, when the ancient traditions of our Church breathe life into a new generation, we pray thanks that Pope Leo XIV will respond to the signs of the times with the moral clarity he’s known for.

Let us pray for our new pope, that he is guided by the Holy Spirit to be a leader bringing peace, love, compassion and understanding to the world.

Holy Spirit, once again You have spoken.

Through the voices of human beings, You have chosen Pope Leo XIV to guide us.

We pray that You will guide him. Help him in his service to You, the Church, and the world. Help him offer a beacon of love to those searching for hope Amidst the chaos of our changing planet.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.