Pope Francis Remembered in Prayer at St. John’s

The St. John’s University community did what it always does at challenging times and gathered to pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 in the early morning of April 21, Easter Monday. The beloved Pontiff made his last public appearance the day before on Easter Sunday.

The daily 12:15 p.m. Mass at St. Thomas More Church on the Queens, NY, campus on April 23 saw a gathering of students, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, retired employees, and several local neighbors come together to pray for Pope Francis. Several Vincentian priests concelebrated the liturgy that was celebrated by Rev. Aidan R. Rooney, C.M., M.Div., M.Th. ’78NDC,  Executive Vice President for Mission, with the homily delivered by Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President.

Fittingly, the Gospel reading for the day from the Gospel of Luke 24:13–35 was one of Scriptures’ most famous readings. It focused on the road to Emmaus journey, one of many post resurrection appearances of Jesus. The passage recounts a beautiful story about two men, distraught over the death of Jesus, who find themselves in deep conversation with the Teacher Himself—only they do not realize it is Him.

Citing previous homilies that Pope Francis had delivered about this same Gospel reading, Fr. Shanley contrasted the lesson of the Gospel story with his life example and approach to ministry right up to the very last hours of his life. Fr. Shanley explained, “He gave us a sense of meaning, a sense of hope.”

Standing steps away from a memorial of Pope Francis set up adjacent to the altar, Fr. Shanley emphasized that Jesus taught that when things look hopeless and we have doubts, we should look no further than Scripture to understand what happened and what will happen: First Christ must suffer, then He is glorified.

Like the papacy of Pope Francis, which emphasized ecumenical outreach, the liturgy attracted Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Now happily retired, Frances “Fran” Goldberg was a longtime employee in the Division of Student Affairs and a member of a Vincentian Mission Certificate Program cohort. The program empowers St. John’s faculty, administrators, and staff to live the Vincentian mission professionally and personally.

As she exited St. Thomas More Church, Ms. Goldberg joked: “I am Jewish, but over the years I have probably been to more Masses than some Catholics. I liked Pope Francis and wanted to be here at St. John’s today to remember him.”

That same community spirit was on display before the well-attended liturgy as all University community members were invited to participate in a pop-up memorial art event held outside the church.

Hastily organized by Daniel J. Napolitano, Director, Student Services, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, each participant got a simple design to replicate onto a ceramic tile. “Often as a tribute, or when people are mourning, healing, or wanting to acknowledge someone, you see communities create a memorial of flowers or signs,” he explained.  

Together, the tiles were painted to form a portrait of Pope Francis displayed before the midday Mass began. “The unique concept behind this is community-based art, where no artistic talent is required,” he said. “The goal is to engage people in a broader conversation around an issue, event, or idea, and the platform of art making.”

Standing in the sunshine of the Great Lawn, Jennie M. Vosilla, a student in the Master of Science degree program in Business Analytics at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, remarked: “I think he will be remembered for his humanity. He spent his life understanding and promoting the notion that we all are God’s children, and, no matter what, even if you have made mistakes or done things that you’re not proud of, at the end of the day, you are still a child of God. There will always be someone above looking out for you—and that is important, especially today.”

As he painted a tile, Rev. Tri M. Duong, C.M. ’00C, Associate Director of Campus Ministry for Interfaith/Ecumenical Ministry, Faith Formation, and Mission Engagement, reflected on the life of Pope Francis, saying: “He brought not only Catholics together, but expanded outreach far beyond Christians to other faiths. He promoted so much interfaith dialogue to bring all people together. His legacy is that of Jesus—bringing us together. We are all one flock.”

Alexandra Prettitore, a first-year English major participating in the pop-up art event, stated, “I thought this was a beautiful way to memorialize him. It is calming as well. He was an innovative Pope. He brought Jesus’s teaching into our modern world. He was welcoming and accommodating, like Jesus was, toward people who might not always be remembered by society—those heard but often ignored.”

History major Daniel Sullivan offered: “I think he will be remembered most for his great humility, and how he exercised that, even until his last day. He would humble himself, serve others, and visit prisons and hospitals. He was a very Christ-like man. He had a spirit of humility, service, and mercy. He was very big on mercy.”

Juliana Biondi, a student in the Master of Business Administration degree program in Marketing Management, shared, “For me, his legacy is his gentleness. He was one of the popes who focused more on poverty and those in need. You can see from his funeral plans how humble he was. He did not want to be buried in St. Peter’s. He wanted a simple coffin. I had the opportunity to go to Rome and be in the Vatican while he was in the hospital. The people there were so concerned for him because of how humble and caring he was.”

The pop-up art event and liturgy attracted news coverage from several local media outlets throughout the morning, including the following:

CBS News New York: Remembering Pope Francis, St. John’s University Unites in Prayer and Art

WNBC NY: Mass for Pope Francis at St. John’s University

NY1: Students at St. John’s University Pay Tribute to Pope Francis

Currents News via YouTube: Students at St. John’s Create Mosaic Tribute to Pope Francis