By MARY STADNYK
Associate Editor
UPDATED May 12, 2025
“We have a pope!”
Those were the simple, but exuberant words that Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., proclaimed at the start of a diocesan Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated May 10 in St. Gregory the Great Church, Hamilton Square. His words were met with a resounding round of applause from the congregation.
“All of us throughout the Diocese of Trenton are joyful in a special way as we celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV as our Holy Father. All of us pray for him. We pray for his good health and we pray for his success as he leads us in the Church,” the Bishop said.
PHOTO GALLERY: Diocese’s Mass of Thanksgiving for Pope Leo XIV
Link to livestream of the Mass of Thanksgiving
It was just two days after Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected to the papacy and became Pope Leo XIV that Bishop O’Connell gathered with members of the diocesan family to commemorate the historic new chapter in the life of the Church and pray for the intentions of the successor of St. Peter. The Bishop served as principal celebrant and homilist, joined around the altar by several priests, including Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, vicar general, and Father Michael Hall, host pastor. The Mass was livestreamed across several diocesan digital sites.
Noting how appropriate it was to hold the Mass of Thanksgiving on Good Shepherd Sunday, Bishop O’Connell, in his homily, said, “We rejoice in the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd, guiding his flock with love, wisdom and unwavering care. Today, our joy is magnified as we celebrate the election of our new American born Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, chosen to be shepherd the Church in the footsteps of Christ.”
Dovetailing the Gospel passage from John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me,” with the significance of a papal election, Bishop O’Connell described it as a “profound moment in the life of the Church – a moment when the voice of the Holy Spirit speaks through the College of Cardinals, calling forth a successor to St. Peter.
“It is a moment of renewal, of hope, and of trust in God’s divine plan,” he said.
“Like the Good Shepherd, the pope is called to lead not with power alone, but with service; not with authority alone but with humility and love,” Bishop O’Connell continued. “Pope Leo XIV has been entrusted with the keys of the kingdom first given to St. Peter, the care of Christ’s flock, to guide us in faith, to strengthen us in unity, and to inspire us in holiness.
“His mission is not just his own,” Bishop O’Connell said. “It is the mission of Christ, carried forward through the ages in the Church.”
The Holy Father was frequently remembered throughout the Mass – in the Prayers of the Faithful as well in the special intention prayed by Bishop O’Connell. “Tender and loving God, eternal shepherd of our flock, we ask you to hear our prayers, to listen to our voice, to be close to us as we give you thanks and praise that you had sent your son, Jesus, to be our Good Shepherd, and he in turn has called Leo XIV to be a shepherd with him and for us. Help us to follow the Lord to the glory of the Kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord, amen.”
As it was also Mother’s Day weekend, Bishop O’Connell, before the final blessing, imparted a special blessing over all mothers in attendance.
After Mass, St. Gregory the Great parishioners expressed how happy they were to witness the election of a new pope, learn more about him through media reports and have the opportunity to be present for the Mass of Thanksgiving with Bishop O’Connell.
“To have a pope from the United States is a wonderful opportunity,” said Rachel Keller, adding that she hopes that Leo XIV will “follow Pope Francis in recognizing everyone in the Church and is willing to keep the doors of the Church open to everyone.”
From her observations, Peggy Kebel said she believes Pope Leo will be a good choice to follow Pope Francis and continue the dialogue that the late Holy Father started.
Upon hearing about his election, Kebel said she immediately ran to her 96-year-old neighbor’s home and “I told her to turn on the TV.
“We were both excited,” she said, “and we are both going to pray for him.”