VATICAN CITY — As he and his brother cardinals prepare to enter a conclave to elect the next pope, Cardinal Raymond Burke is inviting all the faithful to join a “Solemn Novena of Hope to Our Lady of Good Counsel” in order to pray for the universal Church, the world, and Pope Francis’ eternal rest. 

“I invite you to join me beginning on this coming May 1st in a novena to the Mother of Good Counsel regarding the many challenges that we face, in our own homes, in our families, but also that we face in society and in the Church herself,” Cardinal Burke said in a video message recorded earlier this month.

The novena to Our Lady of Good Counsel, which will take place in the month of Mary, begins May 1 and runs until May 9. It had been planned before Pope Francis’ death on April 21, and so will now incorporate praying for the late Holy Father’s eternal rest as well as for the good of the Church.

Speaking to the Register April 25, Cardinal Burke said, “Asking the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel is especially important, given the critical decisions which will be made during the coming days and weeks for the good of the Church and of the whole world.”

It follows the cardinal’s popular Nine Month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe last year that saw 190,000 faithful pray for the intercession of the Virgin Mary against what Cardinal Burke described as “the darkness and sin which ever more envelop the world and menace the Church” and in the face of “pressing crises of our age.” 

Cardinal Burke is asking those who prayed that novena to pray this one for “members of the Sacred College of Cardinals who during the coming Conclave will elect the Successor of Saint Peter as Vicar of Christ on earth, Shepherd of the Universal Church.” 

As with the nine month novena, the charity Catholic Action for Faith and Family is organizing the prayer. The charity’s founder and director, Thomas McKenna, said the new pope will “face insurmountable challenges.” 

“We are living in difficult times,” he said. “Our faith is challenged every day. As we also know, our own beloved Church is confronted with serious crises of faith and morals.” 

Noting that the faithful are away from the sacraments in vast numbers, vocations are few, and marriages and baptisms are down precipitously, McKenna asked, “What do we do in the face of all this hopelessness? We pray, as we always do, in hope. 

“This is particularly relevant right now,” he continued, “not only due to the upcoming election of the new Pope and the various crises of Church and world but also because the late Pope Francis declared 2025 as the Jubilee Year of Hope.” 

He said the May 1-9 solemn novena “will bring all these deep needs of our Church and our world to Christ through the loving hands of Our Lady” as well as “be a time for reflection on our lives and discernment for the way ahead.” 

McKenna invited the faithful to register to receive Cardinal Burke’s daily prayers for the novena beginning next Thursday; by doing so, they can also ask Cardinal Burke to pray for their intentions during the novena. 

“We offer our Novena of Hope in a special way to Our Lady of Good Counsel, asking for the wisdom and prudence to manage the difficulties that afflict us as well as the spiritual Gift of Counsel to assist others on their way to Heaven,” he said. 

Shrine Novena

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe that is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and was founded by Cardinal Burke, has also launched a novena of its own ahead of the conclave. It begins April 26 and runs until May 5.