Pope Francis

Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.
  Come, share your master’s joy. – Mt 25:23

Dear friends on the journey,

Easter Monday was like no other. While still holding the joy of Jesus’ resurrection, we also gripped the grief of losing the “world’s parish priest,” the bishop of Rome, our beloved Pope Francis. No words will ever accurately describe this humble servant, shepherd, and reformer.

Francis’ first appearance as our spiritual leader indicated the man and priest he was and foreshadowed his papal ministry. On March 13, 2013, the newly elected pope met us in humility, breaking from tradition by wearing his own brown shoes and skipping the red cape. Before blessing us, he asked for our prayers for him. St. Francis of Assisi’s reputation as a man of peace, poverty and love for creation would inspire not only his name but his legacy. I’ll always remember the photos showing our new pope paying his own hotel bill and then opting for a simple Fiat for transportation. Even his burial reflects his humble simplicity. In homage to his devotion to Mother Mary, he will be laid to rest in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in a tomb buried in the ground, with no ornamentation and only the inscription: Franciscus. Francis is even paying for his own burial through a benefactor’s gift.

As our pope for twelve years, Francis modeled what it means to be a missionary disciple. As the second most traveled pope, Francis placed at the center of his ministry the poor for they are “at the heart of the Gospel.” Francis emphasized caring for the marginalized, the LGBTQ community, the immigrant, the vulnerable, the speciallyabled, the imprisoned, and creation. He was a trailblazer in reforming the Church to be more inclusive and affirming of women and the laity, to be more transparent in the abuse crisis and to be more fiscally responsible. Francis was a servant for peace, speaking out against war and violence, calling upon world leaders to do better. He opened unprecedented ecumenical and interreligious dialogues and relationships.

​Pope Francis was elected just as I was beginning my pastoral ministry. Francis worked towards a field hospital church. He was a smelly shepherd gently guiding with his flock. This is the ministry and the parish I envision. So let us continue the work of Pope Francis as humble missionary disciples who care for the poor in this life.

Francis walked the walk because he truly knew Jesus
​and, at 7:35 am on April 21, 2025,
Jesus welcomed his brother Jorge 
into resurrected life with open arms, saying
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Come, share your master’s joy.”



Siempre Adelante,
Teresa Runyon
​Pastoral Associate