As the Catholic Church celebrates the appointment of the first pontiff from the United States, Saint Paul Seminary Rector Fr. Joseph Taphorn offers the following words.
With deep joy and abiding faith, we at The Saint Paul Seminary welcome the announcement of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV — formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, originally from Chicago and the first pope from the United States. The election of a pope is always a reminder that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church through every age. We give thanks to God for the gift of our new pontiff and entrust him to the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the wisdom of the saints.
This moment calls each of us to renewed prayer, unity and evangelization. It also renews our seminary’s commitment to forming joyful, Catholic leaders who will serve the Church in communion with the successor of St. Peter. As seminarians, deacon candidates, lay leaders, faculty and staff gather in our chapel, classrooms, and offices, we do so with a sharpened awareness of the times in which we live — an era that demands courage, holiness and hope.
At The Saint Paul Seminary, we are humbled and honored to prepare the next generation of leaders for such a time as this. May the new pope’s witness inspire a deepening of faith in every heart, and may our formation work contribute to the Church’s flourishing under his pastoral care.
Come, Holy Spirit!