Pope Leo XIV celebrated the 43rd anniversary of his priestly ordination Thursday. On June 19, 1982, Robert Prevost was ordained a priest by Belgian Archbishop Jean Jadot in St. Monica Chapel, located just outside the Vatican. He was 26 years old. He entered the Augustinian order in 1977 and took his first vows on Sept. 2, 1978.
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St. Monica Chapel, located next to the Plaza del Santo Oficio — where the pontiff currently resides — holds particular symbolic value for Leo XIV. Not only was it the place of his ordination, but it was also the titular church assigned to him as a cardinal in September 2023, about a year and a half before his election to the papacy on May 8 of this year.
According to Vatican News, the commemorative holy card for his ordination includes an image of the Last Supper, taken from 15th-century Russian iconography, and words from St. Augustine that still resonate powerfully in his ministry today: “I cannot feed you with ordinary bread, but this Word is your portion. I feed you with the same table that feeds me. I am your servant.”
These words — taken from the bishop of Hippo’s 339th sermon — defined the spirituality of the young Augustinian priest, who would soon be sent as a missionary to Peru, where he ministered for almost two decades.
Also in his work “Exposition on the Psalms (Psalm 103, III, 9),” St. Augustine said: “You are a good servant of Christ if you serve those whom Christ has served … May he grant us to perform this service well.”
This spirit of service was evoked by Pope Leo XIV himself in the homily he preached when for the first time as the bishop of Rome he ordained 11 deacons to the priesthood.
“The love of Christ in fact possesses us!” the pope exclaimed. “It is a possession that liberates and enables us not to possess anyone. Liberate, not possess. We belong to God: There is no greater wealth to appreciate and share. It is the only wealth that, when shared, multiplies.”
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This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
As a journalist, Victoria Cardiel has specialized in social and religious news. Since 2013, she has covered the Vatican for various media outlets, including Europa Press and Alfa and Omega, the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Madrid.
