After the death of our dear Pope Francis on Easter Monday and his funeral and burial at St. Mary Major, the Cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel to prayerfully elect the next Pope.

Mere days before I was to depart for my 30 Day Spiritual Exercises’ Study at Broom Tree in Irene, South Dakota, during the Papal Conclave on May 8, 2025, white smoke billowed from the raised chimney announcing to the world, “Habemus Papam, We have a Pope!” The Holy Spirit’s work was complete, and the College of Cardinals had selected the next Successor of St. Peter.

Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost was elected the 267th Pope who took the name Leo XIV.

The first American-born Pope!

I know all of this is old-news to most! But heaven sends messages, and dates are not accidental, especially in major events like the election of a new Holy Father. Which is why I am giddy over a few discoveries on the matter & couldn’t wait to share them with you!

I offer to you now a few reflections to contemplate, on the chosen name, the election date, and their double connection to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael.

Along with my own personal date connection!

(Stay tuned until the end!)

Thirteen Cardinals previously have taken the name Leo. The last, Pope Leo XIII, is called the founding father of Catholic social doctrine because of the encyclical Rerum Novarum. Another popular reference to Leo XIII is “Pope of the Rosary” for his twelve encyclicals on the Rosary. In 1883, in the encyclical Supremi Apostolatus Officio on devotion to the Rosary, Pope Leo XIII reminds the faithful that the Rosary is a powerful spiritual weapon that puts the devil to flight, referencing the Battle of Lepanto in the Gulf of Corinth in 1571. It was also Pope Leo XIII who, exactly 33 years before the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima on October 13, 1917, had a remarkable encounter at the foot of the altar at the end of Mass. The encounter lasted ten minutes. The Holy Father heard two voices, one the gentle voice of Our Lord, the other the harsh voice of Satan, who in his pride, boasted to Our Lord that he could destroy the Church. Pope Leo XIII immediately composed the prayer to St. Michael to be recited after Masses to bind Satan and limit his influence.

Regarding the date: May 8th holds significance for the Blessed Virgin and St. Michael. In his first public address, Pope Leo XIV references Our Lady of Pompeii, also known as Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, whose feast day is May 8th. This day is also the anniversary of the Apparition of St. Michael on Mount Gargano in 490, also known as Saint Michael’s Cave, one of the seven sacred sites perfectly aligned from Ireland to Israel, known as “The Sword of Saint Michael.”

Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii was made known by Blessed Bartolo Longo, an Italian lawyer who converted from Satanism to Catholicism and who will be canonized sometime this year! While visiting Pompeii, he saw its poverty and lack of faith and heard a voice say to him, “If you seek salvation, you must promote the Rosary.” Bartolo became known as the Apostle of the Rosary after acquiring an image of Our Lady of the Rosary, which drew people to gather and pray it fervently. He also established a Confraternity of the Rosary and constructed a Church dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. Many miracles and favors have been credited to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii. One of the most known is the healing of Fortuna Agrelli in 1884, the same year the Leo XII composed the prayer to St. Michael. When news of Fortuna’s Rosary miracle reached Pope Leo XIII, it left a profound impression on this Pope of the Rosary.

The election of a new Holy Father is a great gift. Pope Leo XIV now carries many burdens as the Vicar of Christ. Our duty and response for this gift is to accompany him in prayer and lift him up to the care of the Blessed Trinity. I invite you to join many in the world who are praying daily for our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.

Are you ready for the final date connection?

I do hope so! Because I am smiling from ear-to-ear, as I share with you my discovery of a personal date connection I made while working on this post!

Due to the timing of events with my 30 Day Study I was unable to witness any of the preparations for nor the actual Inauguration Mass held for our Holy Father. However, with great joy and gratitude, during the same time all of that was going on – my own devotion to the Rosary was being strengthened and enlarged; as God granted me the grace to begin a personal devotion to pray four Rosaries each day, which for many months I had been asking the Lord for the heart and ability to do. Quite humbly, I am still able to continue maintaining this devotion since my return. Looking back through my daily journal written while at Broom Tree I discovered my devotion began May 18 – the very same day of the Inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV.

Reminding me in a very personal way – heaven sends messages and dates are not accidental!

I do hope you will seek, find & celebrate your dates from heaven, too!

hugs n’ blessings for the mysterious ways God pours out His love upon us.

*I have attached a few video-links; which were the inspiration & motivation for me praying to Father God, for the grace to have this devotion added to my own daily prayer practice. May you also pray to see if you are being invited, too.