Faithful of Diocese persist in prayer for the health and well-being of Pope Francis

February 28, 2025 at 3:45 p.m.

The sign outside St. Mary of the Lakes Church on Jackson Road in Medford made it clear to all who passed by … the parish was “Praying for our Holy Father, Pope Francis.”

Intentions for the Holy Father were spelled out on similar signs outside Catholic churches and schools that stretched across Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties, giving merely a hint of the pervasive prayer reverently offered by hundreds of thousands of faithful Catholics and people of good will in the Diocese of Trenton.

From the first day of Pope Francis’ hospitalization on Feb. 14 and as news updates fluctuated from guarded to critical to slightly improved and back to deeply concerning, members of the diocesan family have held fast to prayer, asking for the Holy Father to be strengthened, comforted and blessed in these days of health struggles. 

  

Calls for prayer issued by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., have been shared by the parishes from the pulpit, in their bulletins and across their digital platforms. Rosary recitations from the Vatican have been livestreamed widely and the Diocese’s faithful have joined people around the world in organized prayer.

Most recently, the Bishop urged his flock to keep praying the Rosary.  He wrote: “I invite all the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese to join me in praying the Rosary at home or in church before Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament for our Holy Father in this time of his illness. I ask those parishes where the Rosary is prayed in common, to include this special intention among your prayers. Through Mary’s intercession, may God grant him strength and comfort during these days.”

Many parishes have been praying the Rosary from the beginning, along with scheduling Holy Hours, including the intention of the Holy Father at all Masses, offering special Masses strictly for the Pope’s recovery, praying in groups throughout the week and keeping parish members informed and supplied with prayers they might say at home. More than ever before, Pope Francis’ image can be found on parish and Catholic school websites, in parish bulletins and on social media sites, keeping the pontiff front and center for every member of the community.

Catholic school children have started their day in student-led prayers for the Pope, and children in religious education classes have likewise prayed together that God will help the Holy Father through this difficult time.

The digital newsletter of St. David the King Parish in Princeton Junction recently included a message from Father Jason Parzynski, pastor, along with a link to news updates on the Pope and the following prayer:

Prayer for the Healing of Pope Francis

Heavenly Father, Lord of mercy and compassion,

You have called Pope Francis to shepherd 

Your Church with wisdom and love.

In this time of illness, 

we entrust him to Your tender care.

Strengthen him in body, mind, and spirit.

Grant wisdom to his doctors, skill to his caregivers,

and peace to all who love and pray for him.

Lord Jesus, Divine Healer,

You walked among the sick and 

lifted them up with Your touch.

Lay Your healing hand upon our Holy Father,

restore his strength, and ease his suffering.

May he be consoled by the prayers of the faithful

and find comfort in Your abiding presence.

Holy Spirit, Breath of Life,

fill Pope Francis with the peace 

that surpasses understanding.

Renew his strength and, if it be Your will,

return him to us in health,

that he may continue to guide Your Church

in love, humility, and faith.

Mary, Mother of the Church,

wrap him in your mantle of protection

and intercede for him before your Son.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

More to come on this story.