Ep. 4.43: A Shepherd’s Farewell and a Successor’s Arrival

Archbishop John L. May’s final years unfold with quiet heroism as he pours his remaining strength into safeguarding Catholic education in North St. Louis, helping launch the Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation—now a powerhouse of scholarships transforming thousands of young lives. As cancer slowly claims his energy, the Archdiocese gathers in a deeply moving arena Mass honoring his 25 years as bishop, where he offers a brief but unforgettable farewell: “The best gift today is all of you.” His death in 1994 closes an era of steady, humble leadership, just as Rome sends one of its most trusted figures—Archbishop Justin Rigali—to St. Louis. With a résumé shaped at the heart of the Vatican and a pastoral instinct honed in Roman parishes, Rigali arrives to an installation unlike any in local memory, attended by cardinals, bishops, Swiss Guards, and thousands of faithful. Within days he is already walking neighborhood streets, comforting parishioners, and standing beside firefighters at the burning of St. Anthony of Padua—signaling that a new chapter of vigorous, visible leadership has begun.