Rome Visit: Bishop Kenney Shares Pope Leo’s Prayers

The air in the Vatican audience hall was quiet as the ceremony concluded.

Bishop Kevin Kenney stood among the other prelates waiting to approach the front row. He stepped forward to greet Pope Leo XIV after the formal audience ended. The two men spoke for a few minutes. Kenney told co-host Leah Heselton on the radio program Practicing Catholic that the moment felt beautiful. He thanked the pope for his leadership. Then he shared a personal update. He said, “I just want to tell you as well that I was diagnosed with lung cancer back in July and I just want a blessing and your prayers for me during this journey.”

The pope paused and looked directly at the auxiliary bishop. He offered a brief but direct response. “I’m so sorry to hear that, but just know everything will be OK and you will be remembered in my prayers,” the pontiff said. Kenney recalled the exchange with a sense of calm. He noted that the conversation happened in October. The timing carried a specific weight for the archdiocese. Two days after that meeting, the Vatican announced the pope’s own medical findings. Surgeons had discovered a nodule in the pope’s lung during a routine examination.

The Vatican stated that doctors found the growth to be well-contained and detected at a very early stage. Pope Leo underwent a 90-minute procedure on October 13. Surgeons successfully removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The operation went according to plan. The news created a direct link between the leader of the Catholic Church and the auxiliary bishop in Minneapolis. Kenney was diagnosed with lung cancer in July. He has been managing the condition since then. The parallel between the two diagnoses drew immediate attention within the local church community.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda addressed the connection in a statement released on October 13. He published the remarks on the website of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Hebda said the pope’s diagnosis hits close to home. The archdiocese has been journeying with Kenney since his diagnosis in July. The archbishop asked all people of good will to join him in prayer. He included the pope, the auxiliary bishop, and their care teams in his request. He also asked for prayers for those facing challenging diagnoses and their loved ones.

Kenney reflected on the shared experience during his radio interview. He described a sense of connection that went beyond the immediate moment. “There’s just a connection there, that I think, wow, he’s praying for me, I’m praying for him,” Kenney said. He framed his own medical journey under a specific theme. The pastor of St. Olaf in Minneapolis calls this theme Project Hope. The initiative aims to respond with prayer for those suffering from cancer and other debilitating illnesses. Kenney said the project responds to both earthly and heavenly prayer.

He noted that the intercession of the saints plays a role in this support. “And that’s the beauty of all of us together on Earth praying for one another, but then (also) the intercession of the saints; we know there’s the earthly prayer and then the heavenly prayer that’s coming down as well,” he said. Kenney found renewed hope in the pope’s experience. He said looking to the pope’s journey gives him hope. The segment of Practicing Catholic is set to air at 9 p.m. on November 6 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. The episode includes interviews and reflections from the bishop’s visit to Rome.

The show is produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It also features an interview with Angela Wistrcill. She discusses how faith has carried her through the challenges of infertility. Listeners can hear the interviews after they air. The episode will repeat at 1 p.m. on November 7 and at 2 p.m. on November 8. Updates on Bishop Kenney’s health are available online at archspm.org/bishopkenney.