Chris Koehn happened to be driving on I-40 March 13, 2013. He wasn’t yet a priest, but when he heard the news of a new pope, he felt prompted to pray.
“Where was I? And where was the nearest church?” he wrote to NC Catholics about that day. “I had already passed Warsaw and then Our Lady of Guadalupe, our patron, called me. Head to Newton Grove!”
When he arrived at the church there were already people there praying. “Eight of us on the front steps of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on a Wednesday … it was a special sign of spirit and community,” he wrote.
On the day Pope Francis died, Father Chris felt pulled to Newton Grove again. “The steps of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church welcomed me to pray again for our beloved Pope Francis,” he shared. “Giving thanks for 12 years of service and of life, both for Pope Francis and for all the faithful people here in North Carolina.”
Father isn’t alone in his thankfulness. Members of the clergy had a lot to share when NC Catholics asked them how Pope Francis impacted their lives. Father Fernando Torres felt moved to write a poem. Others, such as Monsignor Michael Clay who had an audience with the pope in 2023 as part of an international ecumenical dialogue group, reflected on when they met the pope or were in his presence.
“I was struck by his ability to connect personally with each member of our group, his heartfelt appreciation for what we were doing to promote Christian unity, and his sense of humor. I don’t think popes are generally known for telling jokes in formal audiences but the one he told us made us all laugh,” Monsignor shared.
From throughout the diocese
“In the way that he lived and even the resistance that he faced, he has reminded me of just how much compassion, humility, justice and sincere holiness challenge our Church and our world to grow in the Holy Spirit.”
Father Hugh Macsherry, O.F.M., Immaculate Conception, Durham
“The Holy Father was a person of the people and for the people. He was compassionate, merciful and full of love for everyone. Everything he did was to unite the Holy Church and its members. I know I will miss him and wish to see him again when this life is over. May he rest in peace.”
Deacon Eric J. Rosario Ramos
“During the 2020 Ad Limina visitation … after a warm greeting at the door, as if welcoming us to his own home, then having the opportunity to speak with him personally, he would conclude his response to just about everyone he would meet with the request to pray for him. With me, it was the same but followed by his turning back to me with a pause, looking me right in the eye and saying, ‘Don’t forget.’ It was clear that his request was not just some passing pleasantry, but rather an invitation into that same access inside how he was sustained by the prayers of the faithful, opened to a communion with him, so he could shepherd the Church as effectively as possible. In this and other ways, he would bring the day-to-day life of the Church close to the faithful.”
Monsignor David Brockman, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh
“Now more than ever I heed the Holy Father’s call to serve God’s people … each human being in my journey is a child of God and I must seek to find each person where they are to bring the creator’s love in their own circumstance without judgement.”
Deacon Juan Nay Henriquez
“As the first Jesuit, he could have been Pope Ignatius or Pope Xavier, but he chose the founder of the Franciscans … to point the Church to its mission to evangelize like St. Francis.”
Deacon Wil Hollowell, Holy Redeemer by the Sea, Outer Banks
“Even before Pope Francis was elected pope, I was inspired by his actions and words. The fact that he refused to live in the episcopal palace in Buenos Aires, and was known to commute to work by public transportation is certainly not the norm for most prelates. A talk he gave to Caritas in Buenos Aires was truly inspiring, and I have used it in retreats. In his talk … he stresses the fact that it is not sufficient to give charity to the poor. We must rather insert ourselves into their reality, come to know them so that they become friends and the labels drop away. Only then will we be able to sit down and dine together, at which point together we will be able to change social structures.”
Father Larry Searles, S.J., St. Raphael the Archangel, Raleigh
“One of my lasting images of him as a humble shepherd was his embrace of a man horribly disfigured by neurofibromatosis who had endured decades of rejection and fear and wept when Pope Francis stopped his driver as he was going around St. Peter’s Square, got out, and walked directly over and embraced him. This became a lasting example of what my role as a pastor was meant to be.”
Monsignor Michael Clay
“When I was in the novitiate, my novice director suggested to me as spiritual reading a book-length interview that Pope Francis had done titled, ‘The Name of God is Mercy.’ I have long cultivated a devotion to Divine Mercy as promoted by St. Faustina Kowalska. And to have the pope reflecting so profoundly on mercy inspired me … I understand my vocation as a Jesuit priest to be one of proclaiming God’s mercy. And through his words and actions, Pope Francis showed me how to do this with a loving and tender heart.”
Father Tom Elitz, S.J., St. Raphael the Archangel, Raleigh
“After his election, Pope Francis chose to live at Casa Santa Marta, a guesthouse near the Vatican. He said he needed to be near people for conversation and companionship and friendship. That was a wonderful sign of his humanity. We all share that need.”
Monsignor Donald Staib
“True to his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, who crossed battle lines during the Fifth Crusade to meet with the sultan of Egypt on a mission of peace, Pope Francis surprised many with his courageous peace overtures. And while he unceasingly attempted to cross divisions created by historical sins and to dialogue with all, his fidelity to our one true God remained steady. Most importantly, his friendships were genuine with rabbis, imams and other faith leaders around the world.”
Father Thomas M. Simisky, S.J., St. Raphael the Archangel, Raleigh
“I was very blessed to have been able to attend events during the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy with the Jubilee for Deacons in Rome … words from Pope Francis's homily that stick with me are: ‘In this way, dear deacons, if you show that you are available to others, your ministry will not be self-serving, but evangelically fruitful.’”
Deacon Dr. John Wetsch, St. Raphael the Archangel, Raleigh
Don't forget to pray for the pope
Flowery Easter, you manifest your joy,
Calling Pope Francis to eternity,
With the celebrations and festivities of the octave,
You amazed everyone with the departure of your vicar,
Who, just a few hours before, blessed us all
Today the Church and the world thank the pilgrim,
For the times he visited communities,
Bringing his message of hope and combining
The power of the Gospel and simplicity of life,
With a weak body and a spirit strengthened by faith.
His pain and suffering covered the earth,
As a shepherd of the flock that bleeds in war,
Destroying the common home and attacking the poor,
Without pretext and as a condition, he asked for acceptance,
And he asked the Church to go forth to evangelize.
Walking toward eternity, he spoke to us of hope,
As the center of our life in Jesus Christ,
Who is the only one who can give us salvation,
With all his love, with all his strength and weakness,
And he wished all humanity a Happy Easter.
Rest in peace.
A poem by Father Fernando Torres
“In 2019 in Panama, my World Youth Day pilgrim group waited for his popemobile to pass by on one of the main highways … there were thousands of young people from all over the world. We waited for almost four hours just to save our spot. As he approached, young people started shouting, ‘Esta es la juventud del papa’ which means ‘We are the youth of the pope’ and the atmosphere was filled with excitement! I found myself crying. After his caravan passed, we looked at each other in our group and we asked ourselves ‘Why are we crying? Don’t we have to be happy because we just saw the pope?’ My only response was, ‘These are cries of joy.’ I felt like Jesus was very close to me. In my mind, I truly attest that Pope Francis was not just a man in white garment; he truly is a holy man.”
Father Eric Michael Imbao, C.I.C.M., St. Catherine of Siena, Tarboro
“His writings, talks and his very manner of being - so kind and caring - have inspired people throughout the world. He has been a moral treasure in our midst.”
Monsignor John Wall
In 2016, my wife Kathy and I went to Rome as part of an International Deacon Conference. At the completion of the event on Sunday, Pope Francis presided at the concluding Mass. Kathy and I went as soon as they opened the door; they seated us in groups in the pavilion.
When the Mass was over, the pope went to the people across from where we were seated. He walked inside the fence line all the way around and behind the altar and up our way, shaking everyone's hand. As he approached our end, he shook the hands of the cardinals in front of us.
Then it was my turn … the crowd was pushing and shoving to get close enough to shake his hand … it was very crowded. Other than my marriage, this has been the most significant moment of my life.
Deacon Michael Miller, St. Ann, Clayton
*Some responses were edited for space and style.
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