With the devastating news yesterday of Pope Leo’s diagnosis of cancer, Catholics of all ages are praying for the Holy Father—including the youngest of hearts.

No one knows this more than Father Krzysztof Tyszko, who helps reach the 500+ students that attend Assumption Catholic School in Morristown, N.J.

We caught up with him as he was walking back to the church after his morning post greeting all the kids getting dropped off for the day.

Father noted that the Holy Father's love for baseball means a ton to the younger generations, coming to them in a voice they can hear and understand.

For this pastor, the first thing on his heart is how the school is taking care to protect the children's peace of mind:

“I can tell, especially with the younger grades, that they're trying to keep it contained and not so much scare them with what's going on.”

Yet, there is an unmistakable excitement permeating the school walls thanks to our new American-born Pope.

Father Krzysztof Tyszko reflects on what Pope Leo XIV means to students at Assumption Catholic Church in Morristown, NJ. Credit: Alyssa Murphy

Father Tyszko shared:

“You know, he's our kind of Pope. It's a Pope that watches baseball actively, that knows players actively... I guess for me, it was, you know, you hear the actual voice of the shepherd, and he's speaking to you in a language you understand. And it's not subtitled or anything.”

That connection is touching hearts and minds every Wednesday and Sunday:

“It was like, ‘No, I know what the Pope is actually saying to me, and he's giving me a message.’ So, of course, that's inspiring to hear and it's wonderful to see. So, now it's a little tough to get this kind of news. It's like, ‘Oh, so we're not going to be seeing him or hearing him,’ and we're just nervous about what's going to happen here.”

Even as many Catholics feel anxious, Father Tyszko encourages the faithful to keep a spirit of hope:

“And then you get this kind of news that just hits you in the gut, in a way, that the Pope is going in for surgery, and now it's even a slightly worst-case scenario. But, you know, I like to keep hopes high and think positively about things, especially how everyone's saying that it was small and contained. The Pope didn't exactly look too worried about it when he gave his Sunday Angelus. So, I want to look on the positive side of things.”

And when fear creeps in, Father reminds us there is a concrete action we can all take:

Pray.

“Pray. Obviously, that's the first thing that I would say. You know, the old-fashioned time to get on your knees before the Lord and be like, ‘Lord, I am here to pray for the Pope because I know he needs prayers.’ And, you know, even though we pray for him daily, multiple times—even during the Mass, when we say the Rosary, during the Breviary—you still want to make it a special thing, go out of your way, to make sure that it's like, ‘No, I want to make sure the Pope's doing well because I want the Pope to be back in action.’”

More than anything, Father Tyszko wants Pope Leo to know where the heart of the Church is right now:

“That we're praying for him and we want him back on the scene. And, you know, I can't wait to see him back in the window on Sundays and in the square on Wednesdays.”
Share this post