“Mercy, in its most authentic form, is born of attentive listening and a real presence alongside those who suffer. This is what the Pope is offering today: an example of compassionate, non-judgemental listening, capable of welcoming others.” Fr Tony Pizzo, Prior Provincial of the Augustinians of the Midwest USA and a personal friend of Pope Leo XIV, thus commented on the video message of the Pontiff broadcast on 14 June during the great celebration at Rate Field in Chicago. A special event—Pope Leo’s first major public appearance in the United States—which he chose to hold in his hometown to speak directly to young people. For the occasion, Fr Tony concelebrated the Mass presided over by Cardinal Blase Cupich.
📌 Who is Fr Tony Pizzo
Committed for decades to social ministry and accompaniment of immigrant communities, Fr Tony Pizzo served as vicar in Detroit and Kenosha before returning to Chicago’s South Side. He has led pastoral programmes for Latinos, visited detainees in immigration centres, and trained new religious. He was re-elected Prior Provincial of the Augustinians in 2022.
Shared roots and a common path
Born and raised in Chicago in an Italian family—his mother from Naples and father from Sicily—Fr Pizzo has known Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, for over fifty years, since their youth at Villanova University, the Augustinian institution in Philadelphia. The priest recalls their shared journey of faith with affection:
“Even then, Robert stood out as a man of deep integrity, capable of listening and accompanying those on the margins of society.”
This personal bond makes the Pope’s message to the youth of Chicago and the world all the more meaningful for Fr Tony.
A call to hope
In the video message, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of coming together in community to celebrate the faith:
“When I see people gathering to celebrate their faith, I realise how much hope there is in the world.”
The Pope addressed the younger generations, marked by anxiety, loneliness, and depression: “God is seeking you, calls you by name, invites you to know His Son, Jesus Christ. […] His love can heal, give strength, and offer hope.” According to Fr Tony, Leo XIV encourages young people to look within themselves, where often “lies a profound spiritual restlessness, which is not something to fear but a desire that can draw us closer to God, if we listen to it attentively.”
📌 The video message in summary
Pope Leo XIV’s message to the young people of Chicago and the world is an invitation to rediscover God’s presence in the heart, especially after the pandemic. The Trinity as a model of communion, friendship as a path to healing from isolation, and the community as a place of meaning. He calls on young people to become witnesses of hope and promoters of peace.
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Restlessness as a path
The Pontiff quoted Saint Augustine: “Our heart is restless until it rests in You, Lord.” Words which, according to Fr Tony, show that restlessness should not be avoided but welcomed as an impetus for conversion. The priest, long active at St Rita parish in Chicago and committed to social justice, reaffirms the value of Augustinian spirituality as a concrete and communal path:
“The gift of friendship brings us back to Jesus Himself. Friendship builds trust, fosters authentic dialogue, and becomes a way to truly listen and break down barriers.”
As leader of the Augustinian Province of the Midwest, “Our Mother of Good Counsel”, Fr Tony supports new vocations and promotes a Church close to the people, rooted in the needs of local communities.
Beacons of hope
The priest concludes by highlighting the core of the Pope’s message, which calls each person to live the faith generously: “We do nothing to deserve God’s love, yet He continues to pour it out upon us. He simply asks us to be generous and to share it with others.” For Fr Tony and the entire Chicago community, this is transformed into a mission: “Pope Leo XIV calls us to be beacons of hope, capable of witnessing to God’s love and mercy in daily life.”
