Remembering 2025 as We Enter 2026

As we take our first steps into 2026, I am reminded of the many gifts that 2025 brought to our community.

 

Together, we celebrated the election of our brother, Pope Leo XIV, to the papacy. Many of you were with us as we honored him with the Saint Augustine Medal in August. While his new position didn’t allow him to accept in person (as Cardinal Robert Prevost, O.S.A., had originally intended), it was a wonderful celebration of our shared Augustinian values and how, in Pope Leo, they will be shared with the Universal Church.

 

There seems to be a hunger for those values. After Pope Leo’s election, a record number of men reached out to learn more about the Augustinian way of life. Hundreds of discerners have contacted us, their restless hearts following Pope Leo’s lead, asking: where might Christ be inviting me to serve? Please join me in praying for them as they continue their journey of discernment.

 

We joyously welcomed the news of Fr. Joe Farrell, O.S.A.’s election as the new prior general of the Order. We know him to be a man of wisdom and humility, and we are excited to see him share his gifts with our brothers around the world. We also celebrate Fr. Joe’s choice of Fr. Kevin DePrinzio, O.S.A., as one of his new assistant generals. While both the Province and Villanova University will sorely miss Fr. Kevin’s many talents, we know he will be a great asset to the Curia and to the Order at large.

 

Because of your support, we surpassed our goal on Tolle Lege Day, our annual day of giving. We came together as an Augustinian community with one mind and one heart to show love and support for the Augustinian Friars who have given so much to us through their lives of service. Every dollar we raised will go to the care of our elderly and infirm friars, our young men in formation, and our ministries serving those on the margins of society.

 

Through collaborations with America Media and EWTN, we got to share the story of our brother, Servant of God Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A., with a wider audience. (Stay tuned for the episode of They Might Be Saints coming to EWTN this year!) As we reinterred Fr. Bill in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church in 2024, we had the opportunity to bring our brother, Servant of God Fr. John McKniff, O.S.A., back home to Peru for reinterment in the parish where he served for so many years. What a delight to see the celebration as Padre Juan’s corpus was returned home and his spirit animated our community.

 

We are aware that many of you have lost loved ones over this past year, and we assure you of our continued prayers for peace, consolation, and renewed hope in the promise of resurrection.

 

Thank you for making this work possible. May the coming year bring the Lord’s many blessings to you and those you hold dear.