Bishop Encourages Offerings Of Prayers, Sacrifices, Works Of Charity For Pope Leo XIV

WASHINGTON, DC — Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of The Catholic Diocese of Arlington welcomed the news on Thursday that the College of Cardinals in Rome had named Cardinal Robert Prevost as the successor to Pope Francis. The Chicago native will be known as Leo XIV, becoming the first pontiff from America.

“With profound gratitude to Almighty God, I join the universal Church in thanksgiving for Pope Leo XIV,” Burbidge said. “As the Bishop of Rome and Successor of Saint Peter, our Holy Father is for the entire world the visible principle of Christian unity. I encourage everyone in our families, parishes and schools to offer prayers, sacrifices, and works of charity for Pope Leo XIV and his intentions.”

Also See: Chicago Native Becomes 1st American Pope

The Arlington Diocese will be offering a Mass of Thanksgiving for Pope Leo XIV, at 12:05 p.m. on Monday, May 12, at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More, which is located at 3901 Cathedral Lane in Arlington. This Mass of Thanksgiving will also be live-streamed.

“Through this celebration of the Holy Eucharist, we can support our Holy Father in a special way, asking Almighty God to grant that he may always bear witness to the truth, joy, and beauty of the Gospel with courage, steadfastness, and wisdom,” Burbidge said.

Prevost, 69, had served as the head of the church's Dicastery for Bishops. Raised in Dolton, Illinois, he completed his secondary studies at the minor seminary of the Order of St. Augustine in 1973. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics at Villanova University in 1977. Prevost was ordained a priest in 1982.

“United in prayer for Pope Leo XIV, may we ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen him daily with divine grace in order that he may bring the light of faith and the unchanging and life-giving word of God to the challenges of our times,” Burbidge said. “Likewise, may our Holy Father be for the Church and the world a sign of hope and an instrument of the peace and merciful love of Jesus Christ.”

The Diocese of Arlington is composed of 70 parishes in Northern Virginia, representing 446,500 registered Catholics and more than 275 priests.