Just over a year after becoming Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV celebrates the 44th anniversary of his priestly ordination today, June 19, 2026. On June 19, 1982, 26-year-old Robert Francis Prevost was ordained a priest for the Order of Saint Augustine in the Santa Monica chapel near the Vatican by Belgian Archbishop Jean Jadot. That same chapel, dedicated to the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, was later assigned to him as a cardinal title by Pope Francis in September 2023. Less than two years later, he took part in the conclave that elected him Pope on May 8, 2025.
The image commemorating his ordination carries a quote from Saint Augustine: “I cannot feed you with ordinary bread, but this Word is your portion. I nourish you with the same table that nourishes me. I am your servant.” That spirit of service shaped his priesthood. He spent nearly two decades as a missionary in Peru, serving as a pastor, formator, Bishop of Chiclayo, and vice president of the Episcopal Conference. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Pope Francis created him a cardinal that September.