As Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV became a member of the Order of Malta just weeks before his election to the Chair of St. Peter. But the Michigan Area has an additional connection to the Holy Father: He was ordained to the transitional diaconate in the Augustinian Order at St. Clare of Montefalco Church in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan.

For the past two years, Michigan Area members have met for Mass and dinner on the third Saturday of each month to build community as members of an Order. Pope Leo himself recently stressed to the Grand Master that he “wholeheartedly encourage[s]” members of the Order of Malta to increase their “experience of community life … because community life concretely forges mutual charity ….” So it was fitting that, for this month’s “Third Saturday,” the Michigan Area chose to attend Mass at St. Clare of Montefalco, in honor of Pope Leo.

The site of the future pope’s 1981 ordination to the diaconate was a bit of a departure for the Augustinian Order. Normally, ordinations to the transitional diaconate for Midwest Augustinians were held in Chicago. But for various reasons, the ordination took place at St. Clare’s, one of three Augustinian-run parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit at that time.

As the vocations director for the Midwest Augustinians, and later as prior provincial, then-Fr. Prevost visited St. Clare of Montefalco and celebrated Mass there. In 2012, the Augustinians were succeeded at the parish by the Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel, a community of priests and brothers founded in Poland.

St. Clare pastor Fr. Andrew Kowalczyk, CSMA, greeted the Michigan Area members after Mass. Dinner followed at a nearby restaurant.

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