Pope Leo was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 14, 1955 and is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.). He has held various leadership positions in the order and dedicated many years of service to the Augustinian missions in Peru as a priest and seminary professor. In 2015 he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, by Pope Francis and served in that capacity until 2023 when Pope Francis appointed him as Prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops and elevated him to the College of Cardinals. Pope Leo XIV holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Of particular note, our connections in Nova Scotia to Pope Leo. First, there is a connection to Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Monastery, NS where the Augustinian order has served in different ways over the monastery’s history; most recently having had a group of Contemplative Augustinian Nuns live and worship in the space until 2022. The second connection is the long standing friendship the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth has with the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru. For over 50 years we sent missionary priests and religious sisters to the diocese to work in the areas of outreach and education. Most recently Archbishop Emeritus Martin Currie and retired pastor Fr. Jim Richards, who were missionaries to Chiclayo in the 1970s and 80s, returned there in 2018 to celebrate a significant anniversary for the community. At that time Archbishop Currie and Fr. Richards met and spent some time with then Bishop Robert Prevost. It is a rare and special thing to know that a Pope is aware of our local Church.
As Pope Leo begins his ministry I am very hopeful. He offers our Church hope. He shares many of the same pastoral priorities of the late Pope Francis: care for the poor, encouraging synodality and deep discernment, and a commitment to unity in the Church. However, the Holy Father will also bring the wisdom of his own experience to the enormous task of leading our Church.
Let us keep Pope Leo XIV in our prayers as he begins his ministry. May the Risen Lord continue to be his joy and strength and may the Holy Spirit guide him in his service to the Church and the world.
Sincerely in Christ,
+Brian Joseph Dunn
Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth
