How can 3 French saints spark missionary momentum? Leo’s call for spiritual renewal

Pope Leo XIV speaks in front of the famous icon at the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy, on Saturday, May 10, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media CNA Newsroom, Jun 1, 2025 / 19:56 pm (CNA). Pope Leo XIV urged French Catholics to embark on a profound spiritual renewal by following the example of three beloved saints as France commemorated the centenary of their canonization.In his first message to the French bishops’ conference, released by the Holy See Press Office on Saturday, the Holy Father highlighted St. John Eudes, St. John Mary Vianney, and St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus as powerful models for contemporary evangelization.The pope emphasized their shared spiritual trait: “They loved Jesus unreservedly in a simple, strong, and authentic way” and experienced his goodness in daily closeness.The pontiff presented these saints as Catholics whose lives demonstrate the transformative power of Christ’s tender love.Leo noted St. John Eudes as the first to celebrate liturgical worship of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, St. John Mary Vianney as the priest who declared “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus,” and St. Thérèse as the great doctor of “scientia amoris” who “breathed” Jesus’ name with spontaneity and freshness.Pope Leo framed this anniversary not as mere nostalgia but as an opportunity for missionary momentum. He expressed hope that God can “renew the marvels he has accomplished in the past” through these saints’ intercession.The pope specifically addressed the shortage of priestly vocations, asking whether these saints might inspire young people to embrace the priesthood’s “beauty, greatness, and fruitfulness.”The message concluded with papal gratitude for French priests’ “courageous and persevering commitment” amid contemporary challenges, including “indifference, materialism, and individualism.”Pope Leo invoked the saints’ intercession for France and placed the nation under the maternal protection of Our Lady of the Assumption.