This reflection is an opinion submitted by a member of our faith community.
In the summer of 2010, something extraordinary unfolded at Clare Priory in Suffolk, England – a place where the first seeds of the Augustinian Order in the English-speaking world were sown in 1248. That week, young people and friars from across six continents came together for the Augustinian Youth Encounter (AYE), a global gathering of prayer, friendship, formation, and joyful communion. The theme, drawn from Jesus’ words in John 15 (“I call you friends”) could not have been more fitting.
As a member of the Theology Faculty from St. Augustine Prep (NJ), I was lucky enough to be both a chaperone and a pilgrim. It was during this unforgettable week that I had the chance to meet and speak with Fr. Robert Prevost, O.S.A., then the Prior General of the worldwide Augustinian Order. Although I had met him briefly before, this was the first time we had a real conversation – one where I was able to share my heart, my questions, and my budding sense of vocation.
At that time I was seriously discerning the possibility of entering the Order of St. Augustine and, although I ultimately discerned another path, that conversation has remained with me for years. What struck me wasn’t just that he listened. It was how he listened. Despite the busyness of the week, the weight of his responsibilities, and the symbolic importance of his presence at this historic gathering, Fr. Prevost gave me his time and his attention. In a world that often rushes past the individual heart, he made mine feel seen.
One of the highlights of the AYE (for me especially) was one evening when we gathered for Eucharistic Adoration. The sacredness of that outdoor space – the soft breeze moving through the trees, the flicker of candles around the monstrance – combined with the Real Presence of Christ and the quiet hum of hearts at prayer created a moment I will never forget.
It was beautiful in every sense: historically rooted, spiritually alive, and full of young people leaning into the mystery of God. The whole week was a celebration of our shared Catholic faith and Augustinian spirit with Masses in beautiful chapels, small group sessions in tents, tree-plantings with representatives from every continent, shared meals and conversations about justice, friendship, and faith. Eighteen countries were represented, yet there was a profound unity among us: a unity Fr. Prevost embodied with quiet confidence.
Looking back, and watching his continued service in the Church, first as bishop in Peru, now as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, I can’t help but think: an Augustinian would make an excellent pope. It seems to me that more of the Augustinian charism is what our Church needs today. It’s a particular spirituality that is deeply communal, yet rooted in personal interiority. It seeks unity without uniformity. It loves the truth of God without sacrificing the love of one’s neighbor. It’s grounded in history while open to the Spirit’s new movements; Fr. (now-Cardinal) Robert Prevost exemplifies this. As Prior General, he led a global Order. As bishop in a mission country, he embraced the Church at the margins. As an American, he brings an intercultural fluency that’s crucial for global leadership today. Yet beyond all that, he’s a man who listens. He gives time to the young and the searching and sees the human person before needing to read their resume. In the imitation of Jesus, Who, whether speaking with Nicodemus by night or calling Zacchaeus down from the tree, always saw the heart before the title, the person before the position.
In a Church searching for both renewal and unity, what more could we ask for in a shepherd? We find ourselves in a pivotal moment where we are both post-Benedict and post-Francis. The Church stands between the rich theological depth and liturgical rootedness of Pope Benedict XVI and the prophetic, pastoral outreach of Pope Francis. What we need now is not a pendulum swing, but a bridge. We need someone who can carry forward both the intellectual richness and the missionary impulse, one who can hold together tradition and encounter while always rooted in Divine Mercy. Cardinal Robert Prevost, shaped by the Augustinian vision of friendship, interiority, and community, strikes me as precisely this kind of figure: a leader who listens deeply, thinks theologically, and walks in solidarity.
That week at AYE in 2010 wasn’t just a gathering for me. Instead it was a glimpse of what the Church could be: global, youthful, prayerful, and rooted in a tradition that still speaks. In Cardinal Robert Prevost, I saw the kind of leader who can help us walk that path; not with power, but through an invitation to personal friendship with Jesus Christ. I therefore offer my prayers for the College of Cardinals, that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit. I pray too that the conclave may bring forth a shepherd after the heart of Christ – one who (like Augustine) knows how to seek, how to serve, and how to lead the People of God in unity, in truth, and in love.
