Pope Leo XIV’s Representative Celebrates Annual Mass of the Holy Spirit

The campus community gathered for the Mass of the Holy Spirit at the Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, an annual celebration opening the academic year at The Catholic University of America. The September 3 liturgy was livestreamed and broadcast on EWTN.

The Mass of the Holy Spirit is a 500 year-old tradition that draws together students, faculty, and staff to pray for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as the community reconvenes around a common purpose of higher learning. Classes are canceled during the Mass so the academic community can attend. 

Pope Leo XIV’s representative to the United States, the papal nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, was celebrant and homilist. He extended prayers and well-wishes from the pope to the community gathered in Washington, D.C. 

During the homily, Archbishop Caccia encouraged students to seek the Spirit for consolation, blessings, and inspiration to guide them this year and throughout their time at Catholic University. 

“A life that puts first the dimension of the Spirit, that tries to follow Christ, will experience many joys,” he explained. He encouraged students to find particular inspiration in the witness of Saint Francis of Assisi during this year’s 800th anniversary of his death. 

Conferral of Canonical Mission

During the Mass, four new faculty members in the School of Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) and the School of Philosophy received the conferral of canonical mission from Archbishop Caccia:

•  Garrett Smith, associate professor, School of Philosophy;
• Juraj Nevjestic, visiting assistant professor, School of Philosophy;
• Michael Hahn, assistant professor, TRS; and
• Reverend José Noriega, DCJM, S.T.D., associate professor, TRS.

The Catholic University of America, as the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States, is the only institution in the country with ecclesiastical faculties granting canonical degrees in three disciplines: canon law, philosophy, and theology. This conferral of canonical mission grants faculty the authority to teach in the name of the Church.

Reflecting on the conferral, Hahn stated that “receiving the missio canonica not only solidifies the ecclesial rootedness of my efforts but also serves as a beautiful reminder that the theological vocation is itself a gift.”

Final Words

University President Peter Kilpatrick gave remarks after Mass, where he encouraged all those in attendance to seek a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit. 

“Learn about the Holy Spirit by reading Scripture,” said President Kilpatrick. “Just as you pray to God the Father, and just as you pray to the Son, Jesus, our Lord, pray also to the Spirit.”