Pope Leo XIV Gives Perfect Advice to One of Spain's Youngest Priests Father Miguel Tovar!



Pope Leo XIV took the time to give Father Miguel Tovar the perfect advice as a new priest. Fr. Tovar was overjoyed at his encounter with the pope and at 24 years old is one of the youngest priests in Spain. One month after his ordination on July 5 in the Diocese of Cartagena, he and his parents visited the Vatican and met Pope Leo XIV, who advised him to never lose “the joy of the priesthood.” 
Fr. Miguel Tovar wrote:

What a wonderful gift from the Lord, one month after my priestly ordination, to be able to greet the Pope. The Holy Father encouraged me to be faithful and not to lose the joy of the priesthood in prayer. When he learned that my parents were coming, he congratulated them for giving their 24-year-old son to the Church. 🙏
After telling him that I had just been ordained a priest, the Pope advised me: “Be faithful. Many priests lose their joy. Never lose the joy of the priesthood, which you will always find through prayer.”
I told him that I had gone to Rome with some priests to present the priestly ministry to the Holy Father, and he said to the Church: “Are you there? Tell them to come! Congratulations to you for giving your 24-year-old son to the Church.”
When I told the Holy Father where I was from, he said, "Oh, Murcia! Of course, I know it. Let's pray for the young man" (referring to the young man from Cartagena whom he visited while hospitalized during his Jubilee pilgrimage). I told him that our Bishop had asked the diocesan Church of Cartagena to join the Pope's prayer intention.
After that, he blessed the three of us and blessed my stole for diaconal ordination and for my first confessions.

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