As we continue to reflect on, mourn, and pray for the legacy and soul of Pope Francis, the world has received word that the papal conclave is officially set to begin on Wednesday, May 7–just over a week from today. In preparation, we invite you to join us in Cardinal Burke’s novena to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in the selection of the next pope. Additionally, we’re excited to share our new podcast series exploring Pope Francis’ life, teachings, and impact, as well as the upcoming conclave and the needs of the Church today. We pray that these initiatives will bring you deeper understanding, opportunity for reflection, and continued peace in the upcoming weeks.
Cardinal Raymond Burke’s Invitation to Prayer
Our Lady has not forgotten her children: her care for us is as strong today as it was 500 years ago. Will you answer the call?
With these words, Cardinal Raymond Burke invites us to join a novena to pray for Pope Francis’ repose and the Church at large, seeking Our Lady of Guadalupe’s intercession in pleading for the Church “at a time of great trial and danger, just as she came to the rescue of the Church at Tepeyac in 1531.” This “Solemn Novena of Hope to Our Lady of Good Counsel” spans May 1-9.
In a video message, Cardinal Burke shares how the novena is “simply one additional but very powerful way to invoke divine aid in times of such great need.” He writes that in light of the upcoming papal conclave, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary is “greatly needed so that the Cardinals in Conclave will humbly obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit and thus choose the most worthy man to fulfill the service of the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on Earth.”
The National Catholic Register reports that Cardinal Burke’s 2024 Nine-Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe inspired 190,000 Catholics to pray for the intercession of the Virgin Mary against the darkness and sin which “evermore envelope the world and menace the Church.” Now, he urges us to focus on discernment and grace for the conclave participants as they elect the one who will lead us through these turbulent realities which confront the Church with “serious crises of faith and morals,” as Thomas McKenna put it to the Register. Founder of Catholic Action for Faith and Family, which organized the novena, McKenna emphasized Pope Francis’ declaration of 2025 as the Jubilee Year of Hope, saying that in the face of overwhelming hopelessness, “we pray, as we always do, in hope.”
You can register to receive daily prayers for the novena (and request Cardinal Burke to pray for your intentions) here.
Novena Prayer for the Sacred College of Cardinals gathered for the Conclave to elect the Roman Pontiff
I kneel before you, O Virgin Mother of God, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the compassionate mother of all who love you, cry to you, seek you, and trust in you. I plead for the Church at a time of great trial and danger for her. As you came to the rescue of the Church at Tepeyac in 1531, please intercede for the Sacred College of Cardinals gathered in Rome to elect the Successor of Saint Peter, Vicar of Christ, Shepherd of the Universal Church.
At this tumultuous time for the Church and for the world, plead with your Divine Son that the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, His Mystical Body, will humbly obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Through your intercession, may they choose the most worthy man to be Christ’s Vicar on earth. With you, I place all my trust in Him Who alone is our help and salvation. Amen.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee, have mercy upon us!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Virgin Mother of God and Mother of Divine Grace, pray for us!
Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke
April 24, 2025
Franci Revel Eckensberger
Writer and editor Franci Revel Eckensberger holds a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Cornell University. With years of experience as a copyeditor for academics, fellow writers, and various small businesses, she takes pride in maintaining clarity, consistency, and beauty in each client’s voice.
Franci finds grace and insight in the Catholic Church’s rich relationship to language and invites that relationship to influence both her literary and editorial work. Saint Cecilia and Catherine of Siena continue to play a vital role in her journey to the faith as an artist. She lives in coastal Delaware with her husband.
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