Cardinal Frank Leo’s message for the Solemnity of St. Michael the Archangel

Below is Cardinal Frank Leo’s message for the Solemnity of St. Michael the Archangel.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

May Jesus and Mary be in your souls.  

I write to you today in anticipation of our Solemnity of St. Michael the Archangel, the Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of Toronto. The Readings for the Mass of St. Michael, Michaelmas, include the Book of Revelation, which presents us with a striking image of a battle between the Archangel and his angels against the dragon (Rev 12:7-12). At first glance, this celestial battle may seem removed from our daily lives, but in reality, it names a truth all too familiar: Wherever people live and work together, especially those who belong to Christ through faith, there are forces seeking to divide, distort and unsettle. 

St. Michael’s witness reminds us that peace, unity and harmony are not automatic. They require vigilance and cooperation with God’s grace. We are called to resist quick judgments, refuse the temptation to reduce others to their faults and remain committed to what is true even when it is not easy. We recognize the “authority of His Anointed” and give “testimony” to His love with our lives (Rev 12:10-11). 

The name “Michael,” which means “Who is like God?”, is a declaration of a fundamental and foundational truth, a reminder that God is the measure of all things. We are challenged to tune out the various noises — competing voices, opinions and ideologies — and intentionally discern the things of God. Our discernment is not a process of simply collecting perspectives or negotiating outcomes. It is needed for growth. We know that not every voice leads to truth. Not every spirit leads to God (cf. CCC 2847). The truth of the Gospel is something we receive, not something we create, it forms our identity and marks our destiny. 

We do not invent our own path all alone but rather discern it in fidelity, in community and walk along it in hope. In this regard, St. Michael stands as our guardian not only of the Church’s safety (cf. Dan 12:1), but of her very identity. We journey through life together as a community of faith, under the protection of the heavenly hosts, sustained by grace, guided by the Holy Spirit and defended against all that would seek to fracture our unity. 

St. Michael is often depicted as restoring order against chaos. I invite us to consider how we might work together to do the same in our lives — at home, at work, indeed wherever we find ourselves. Our feast offers both clarity and encouragement, reminding us that the life we share is shaped by more than circumstance; it is part of a larger spiritual reality that calls for humility before God, fidelity to what is true and a steadfast commitment to God and one another. 

I would like to renew my invitation once again this year to join me in praying the Novena to St. Michael with a special intention: the fruitfulness and successful implementation of the new Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan, which begins to unfold this fall so that we may be ever more faithful, attentive, generous and giving to the Lord and to others according to the vocation we have received and after the manner of Our Lady of Cana. 

St. Michael the Archangel, our patron saint, pray for us.

Instruction for praying a Novena to St. Michael the Archangel, Sept. 18-26:

A novena, meaning nine, is an ancient style of prayer carried out consistently over a nine-day period for a particular intention and is usually directed to the intercession of a specific saint, Our Lady, an angel or to a Divine Person of the Blessed Trinity. The nine days has its Scriptural origin in the number of days  between Jesus’ Ascension and Pentecost, during which the Blessed Mother and the Apostles were together in constant prayer until the descent of the Holy Spirit.

To pray a novena, approach the Lord with faith, trust and in a humble, loving manner. Choose an intention to mention throughout the novena. Decide to whom we address this prayer, the intercession of Our Lady or a saint or angel. The pattern of prayer is the same for each day: the opening prayer, including your specific intention, followed by one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, ending with the Prayer to St. Michael and a short litany. Th focus of any prayer is about deepening our relationship with God and dwelling in His loving embrace.

A version of this article appeared in the September 13, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline ""