Pope Leo XIV has asked that we pray for priests in crisis during the month of April, 2026.
As we celebrate the “birthday” of the priesthood this month (on Holy Thursday), Pope Leo has asked us to pause and to remember that those who serve us must also be served as our beloved brothers in Christ. He reminds us that, like all of us, they are human and experience times of weakness, exhaustion, sadness and loneliness. Considering this, he asks us to pray that God will teach us how to care for our priests, show them mercy, and accompany them on our shared pilgrimage through this life.
In a press release, Fr. Cristóbal Fones, who is the director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network said, “It is essential to remember how important human accompaniment, sincere friendship and, above all, prayer support are. Priests need to know that they are not alone.”
The Pope has suggested the following prayer to guide our intercession for our priests:
Lord Jesus,
Good Shepherd and companion on the journey,
today we place in your hands all priests,
especially those going through moments of crisis,
when loneliness weighs heavily,
when doubt clouds their hearts,
and when exhaustion seems stronger than hope.
You who know their struggles and wounds,
renew in them the certainty of your unconditional love.
Let them feel they are not mere functionaries or lonely heroes,
but beloved sons, humble and cherished disciples,
and pastors sustained by the prayer of their people.
Good Father, teach us as a community to care for our priests:
to listen without judging,
to give thanks without demanding perfection,
to share with them the baptismal mission
of proclaiming the Kingdom in word and deed,
and to accompany them with closeness and sincere prayer.
May we support those who so often support us.
Holy Spirit,
rekindle in our priests the joy of the Gospel.
Grant them healthy friendships, networks of fraternal support,
a sense of humor when things don’t go as expected,
and the grace to always rediscover the beauty of their vocation.
May they never lose trust in You,
nor the joy of serving your Church with a humble and generous heart.
Amen.
If you find it helpful, you can pray along with Pope Leo using the video found at this link.
Additional information and resources are available here and here.
Note: Over the past few months, we have been remiss in not sharing Pope Leo’s monthly prayer intentions with you. At a virtual prayer meeting for digital missionaries that was held by the Dicastery for Communications on March 14th, participants committed to sharing these prayer intentions through their digital platforms. It is, therefore, our intention and hope that we will faithfully share them with you each month going forward.
Pope Leo’s intentions for the previous months were as follows:
January – For Prayer with the Word of God
February – For Children with Incurable Diseases
March – For Disarmament and Peace
Image: “Holy Thursday 2015” (CC BY 2.0) by St Ignatius Church Photographer
Ariane Sroubek is a writer, school psychologist and mother to two children here on earth. Prior to converting to Catholicism, she completed undergraduate studies in Bible and Theology at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She then went on to obtain her doctorate in School and Child Clinical Psychology. Ariane’s writing is inspired by her faith, daily life experiences and education. She is currently writing a women's fiction novel and a middle-grade mystery series. Her non-fiction book, Raising Sunshine: A Guide to Parenting Through the Aftermath of Infant Death is available on Amazon. More of her work can be found at https://mysustaininggrace.com.
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