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Two old friends, Cardinal Leo and Isabel Correa.
Photo from Isabel Correa
December 6, 2024
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According to Vincent Veerasuntharam's tabulations, 100 delegates departed from Toronto Pearson Airport, and an additional 75 emissaries lifted off from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport to witness Cardinal Francis Leo being welcomed into the College of Cardinals at the Vatican.
The CEO of Connaissance Travel & Tours expressed his delight that he and his colleague Liz Dachuk were two of the guests.
“This is exciting,” said Veerasuntharam. “The Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toronto (is) being elevated to a position as Cardinal. It is a very special and unique blessing for Catholics and Canada because Archbishop Leo is a younger person to be elevated to this position. He brings a lot of perspective and new energy to the faith and leadership team of the Catholics in Toronto and across Canada.”
Also joining the travelling delegation is Isabel Correa, the director of communications and media relations for the Archdiocese of Montreal. She most recently worked alongside her friend Leo during his brief seven months as Auxiliary Bishop of Montreal from July 2022 to March 2023.
Correa, who helmed Canada’s delegation to World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, first met the new Cardinal many years ago, before he was ordained a priest on Dec. 14, 1996. They were both members of Youth in Action, an assemblage of the Italian parishes at the time. This youth group would come together for retreats, prayer nights and a host of other worship events.
Upon finding out the news on Oct. 6 that Leo was to become a Cardinal, Correa experienced “a mixture of reactions.”
“It was a mixture of ‘oh my God! This is happening.' I can't believe it. This was fast. And I immediately almost simultaneously went to thank the people of God. This is great news for his own (arch)diocese and our country — a gift for our Church and the people of God.”
Witnessing Leo in action at various junctures of his ecclesiastical journey, coupled with reading the insights that he wove into his first pastoral letter Seeking the Kingdom of God Above and Beyond All Other Things, reinforced to Correa that Leo is “a man of vision and great discernment.” She appreciates that he acts upon his foresight by continually seeking to empower young Catholics to potently participate in the destiny of the faith.
“I will never forget what he said when he addressed young people directly during his installation as Archbishop of Toronto,” said Correa, who is attending a papal consistory for the first time. “He has a love for the youth and he believes that the young people are the protagonists of today, not just of the future. He knows that today they can make a difference.”
During his March 26, 2023, Mass of installation homily, Leo said “the youth are a gift to us, to our families, our communities of faith and to the wider society.” He declared they “bring strength, idealism and hope for the future." Leo then accentuated that “they are to be loved and accompanied, listened to and cherished, welcomed and witnessed to. We need to give them our attention, our time, our means and our wisdom.”
Veerasuntharam also expressed appreciation for the particular devotion Leo exhibits towards the youth “who are the future of the Church.”
Invigorating young Catholics is just one of the important mandates entrusted to Leo, said Veerasuntharam. He said Leo has a lot to accomplish and needs active support.
“We have to pray for the Cardinal to have the strength to deal with the changing world and (a) changing Canada, and to bring back the Catholic community together,” said Veerasuntharam. "We want to be united with the young people, from school children up to adulthood and university life.
“We pray for guidance to make the right decisions by our teachings so that we will leave this world in a better place for generations to come,” continued Veerasuntharam. “And Cardinal Leo alone cannot do it. We all have to contribute and help him with our prayers and our efforts.”
Graced with an opportunity to experience the Vatican’s majesty once again, Veerasuntharam plans to pray in this hallowed space for the clergy, sisters, nuns, deacons and lay leaders who will aid Leo in his quest of inspiring Catholics to seek the Kingdom above all things.
(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)
A version of this story appeared in the December 08, 2024, issue of The Catholic Registerwith the headline "Hundreds join Leo in Rome".
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