God bless you Pope Francis!  

We love you.

Rest in Peace.

We have all received the news by now that our Holy Father Pope Francis went to his eternal reward on the day after Easter, Monday, May 21, 2025.  We all knew that he had been very ill the past couple of months and spent two weeks in the hospital, so this was not a total surprise.  Nonetheless, when the Vicar of Christ dies, it is jolting to all Catholics in the world.  We come together to pray for the happy repose of his soul, to mourn, and to thank God for all the good he has done as our Chief Shepherd.  This Wednesday night, the 5:30 rosary and 6:00 p.m. Mass will be offered for Pope Francis and these intentions…for those who would like to attend.   I also plan to have a sign made for the front of the Church, something like the title of this column.  

The funeral mass for a pope “must take place” between the fourth and sixth day after the pope dies, so that will be coming very quickly.  Following the funeral, the 135 (current) Cardinals must come together fifteen to twenty days after the pope’s death for the Conclave, to elect a new pope.  May will be an active month in Rome!  We begin even now to pray to the Holy Spirit to select the right man to be our new Holy Father.  

I clearly remember the last conclave which elected Pope Francis, as I was giving a retreat to the priests of Orlando, FL.   We were all watching the television between the retreat conferences, and we saw the white smoke which indicated a new pope had been elected.  When Pope Benedict was elected, I was the Vice Rector at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, and after the election, we served German beer to the 150 seminarians!   

I was reflecting this morning that I have lived through six papacies thus far.  I was born when Pope St. John XXIII was pope, though I was only one year old when he died in 1963.  My mother called him “Good Pope John” because he was always smiling.  Pope Paul VI was the pope of my childhood until the age of 16.   From that point on, I paid more attention, especially since I was discerning whether or not I should become a priest.  The next pope, Pope John Paul I, lived only 33 days.  1978 was the year of three popes!  Pope St. John Paul II was then elected, and he was heroic to me and so instrumental in inspiring me to become a priest.  I believe that he will receive the title one day of “St. John Paul the Great.”   Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005, and he shocked the world in his 13^th year by making the decision to resign.  No pope had done that in hundreds of years.  Finally, Pope Francis was elected in 2013 and has been pope for 12 years.   I feel blessed that two of the six popes (so far) in my lifetime have been canonized saints.  Perhaps more of them will be canonized before it is over.   

I will be leaving Tybee Island on Saturday, April 26^th to give a priest retreat to the priests of New Ulm, Minnesota, and I return Thursday night, May 1^st.  I am sorry that I will not be at St. Michael’s this weekend, April 26-27, for the Commitment Weekend of our Jubilee Capital Campaign.  I want to ask you, as your pastor, to please pray about making a gift to this Jubilee Campaign.  We have been asked to give a total gift of $357,921 towards the $25 million total diocesan goal, and we have already exceeded $100,000!  Thank you to those who have already made a gift.  Still, we will need some generous donations to reach our parish goal, so I ask you to be a part of this by praying about it and then making the gift you are able to make.  Please bring your completed pledge card back this weekend or make a gift in the way you choose.  

As Catholic Christians, we are joined to the local diocesan church and to the universal, international Church.  The word “catholic” means universal.  We are not just an independent St. Michael’s Catholic Church.  I cannot even celebrate Mass or any of the sacraments unless I am in union with our bishop, Bp. Stephen Parkes and our Holy Father, once he is elected.  As a Catholic man remarked to me many years ago, “Our catholicity is an amazing connection, but it is also expensive!”  

The good news, (besides the best news, that Christ has risen!), is that this is “a good faith” campaign.  That means that the parish is not obliged to make up the difference should we not reach our goal.  But I am convinced that will not happen at St. Michael’s!  These last two years, I have found the people of St. Michael’s to be truly Catholic and truly generous.  

It is going to be an interesting May.  

Christ has risen.  He has risen indeed!

Fr. Brett Brannen

Pastor