May 8, 2025
AP Photo/Markus Schreiber
Dear Friends in the Lord,
           With profound joy and gratitude, I write to you following the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A. as the 266th successor to Saint Peter, now Pope Leo XIV.
           While Jesuits certainly held a very close bond with Pope Francis, our first Jesuit pontiff who embodied humility, simplicity, and an unwavering commitment to the marginalized, I am also very excited as Pope Leo becomes our first pope from North America and the U.S.! A missionary from Chicago, Cardinal Prevost graduated from Villanova University and was ordained a priest of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.). He spent many years ministering in Peru, where he also served as Bishop of Chiclayo. Pope Francis appointed him as a member of the Dicastery for Bishops and made him a Cardinal in 2023.
      Father General Sosa wrote a letter on the election of Pope Leo XIV to the whole Society of Jesus. As members of the Society of Jesus, Jesuits are reminded of our special vow of obedience to the Holy Father. The election of a new pope calls us to reaffirm our commitment to serve the Church under his guidance, embracing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. In taking the name Leo, we hope this is a sign that he will continue the work of his predecessor Leo XIII, who was a founding figure of the Catholic social justice tradition.
          Let us unite in prayer for Pope Leo XIV, asking the Holy Spirit to grant him wisdom and strength. May we, too, be inspired to deepen our own vocations, serving others with renewed faithfulness and spreading the Gospel in both words and deeds.
Sincerely  in Christ,
Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J.
Provincial
