Today I am going to write about the Augustinian saint for whom Villanova University is named. Tomás Garcia y Martinez was born in 1488. He received his name Thomas of Villanova from the town in which he was raised (Villanueva de los Infantes, Ciudad Real, Spain).

One of the older buildings on the Villanova University campus was Tolentine Hall. I often went there to study when it became noisy in the dorm where I was living on campus. In time I became curious to find out more about the origin of the name of Tolentine Hall. I learned that it was named for St. Nicholas of Tolentine, the first Augustinian friar to be canonized after the Grand Union of the Order of St. Augustine in 1256. St. Nicholas of Tolentine is the subject of this week’s column.

Since Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian, I thought it would be good to write a series of columns on Augustinian saints. Since I am writing this column on May 22, I thought it would be good to begin the series with a saint we commemorate today: Saint Rita of Cascia. She is a patron saint of difficult marriages, impossible causes, infertility, and parenthood.

Who are the Augustinians? They have come into prominence with the election of Pope Leo XIV (formerly Robert Cardinal Prevost, OSA), who is a member of the Augustinian Order. Some may remember the Augustinians because they staffed Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, DC from its founding in 1951 until 1989. I first encountered the Augustinians when I came to Villanova University as a freshman in September 1967. I met many Augustinians in my four years at Villanova. But I did not meet Bob Prevost, who was enrolled at Villanova two years after I graduated from there in 1971.

Much has happened since I wrote last week’s column. The Cardinal electors entered the conclave on Wednesday, May 7. By Thursday (May 8) afternoon we heard the news that a new Pope had been elected: Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Cardinal Prevost, OSA, who is a native of the southside of Chicago. I did not think that in my lifetime I would see someone born in the United States become Pope. But it happened. Like many alumni of Villanova University, I take great pride that a Villanovan has ascended the throne of Peter.

By the time you read this column, the Cardinals eligible to elect a new Pope may have concluded their work, the world may have seen the white smoke, and Dominique Cardinal Mamberti may have announced that we have a Pope using the Latin: Habemus Papam. But as I write this column, we are waiting for the conclave to begin. John Allen, the editor of Crux, which offers well-regarded and independent coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church, has been writing about the “papabile” of the day: Cardinals whom he thinks have a chance to be elected Pope. Here are some of the Cardinals that he has profiled: Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost, Anders Cardinal Arborelius, Mario Cardinal Grech, Cristóbal Cardinal López Romero, and Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. John Allen is aware of the Italian saying that a “papabile” often goes into a conclave only to come out of it as a cardinal.

On Saturday April 26, 2025, Pope Francis was buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. Since that day, the entire Church has been in mourning over the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Our parish has joined the various cathedrals, basilicas, other parish churches, shrines, and chapels in praying for the repose of his soul and asking God to bestow his infinite mercy on the man who served the Church as the Bishop of Rome.

I am writing this column shortly after the announcement that Pope Francis died early on Easter Monday (April 21, 2025) at the age of eighty-eight.. The media will have published many stories about our recently deceased Holy Father. I want to mention two things that I remember during his visit to Washington. D.C. in September 2015.

Happy Easter! I wanted to present Pope Francis’s message for Easter 2025. Since it has not been released, I am presenting his message from Easter 2024……..Fr. John

Pope Francis encouraged us to journey together in hope during this Lenten season. Even though Lent will soon be over, I want to present his message for Lent so that we can ponder it during this Holy Week. Here is his Message for Lent 2025:

I want to continue listing some advice on parish etiquette, which I think is a good thing to do periodically. These reflections were first presented by Barbara Budde in a pamphlet (which is no longer in print) for the National Pastoral Life Center. Today I want to make some suggestions about our children at Mass.

I want to continue listing some good advice on parish etiquette as we continue through Lent and approach Easter. These reflections were first presented by Barbara Budde in a pamphlet (which is no longer in print) for the National Pastoral Life Center. Let me mention some things that we could do to prepare well for the Sunday liturgy.