Celebrating Pope Francis - “Viva el Papa Francisco!”

The yellow and white bunting and papal flags prominently displayed at the entrances of Mary, Mother of God Church, Mater Dei Prep, and Saint Mary School continue to be spiritually uplifting as we celebrate the election and inauguration of Pope Francis, the 266th Roman Catholic pontiff. 

On March 13 upon seeing the white smoke emerge from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and hearing the now familiar Latin words “Habemus Papam!” We have a Pope! Catholics around the world have been filled with great joy and prayerful thanksgiving. 

The election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aries, Argentina as our new pope, has been a historical and jubilant time in the life of the Church.   

When Pope Francis stepped onto the central balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica, he asked the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray that God would bless him.  At that very moment, Pope Francis began to win over the hearts of the 1.2 billion Catholics and non-Catholics worldwide.   

"My students and I couldn't wait for the doors to open to see who would walk out onto the balcony. I explained to them the significance of the Pope selecting the name of a great Saint like Francis.  It is a very exciting time for our Church,” said Maureen Regan, Mater Dei Prep, religion teacher.

It has been a whirlwind of activity over the past several days at Vatican City and in the few short days of his papacy our Holy Father has shown the world that he is a humble man of God, a compassionate advocate for the disadvantaged, a pastor to all people, a true caregiver of souls with a common touch and a spontaneous disposition.  Mater Dei Prep junior student Jen Trabuco commented, “I am very excited about the new Pope. He seems like a humble man, and we are blessed to have him as our Holy Father."

Father Jeff, pastor of Saint Mary Church in Middleotown and director of the campus schools, stated “I am grateful to the Holy Spirit for the gift of Pope Francis to the Church.  His humility and simplicity is capturing the attention and hearts of people of all generations.  Everyone I speak to mentions it.  I believe the holy witness of his life will lead to a new Catholic springtime.  It’s an exciting time for the Church.” 

Father Jeff was the celebrant at a Mass held last Friday attended by the Kindergarten through 12th grade students along with the faculty, staff and parents.  It was an uplifting Mass of celebration and thanksgiving for Pope Francis. 

Mater Dei Prep religion teacher, Prudence Ciccone said, “She and her
students found it to be very exciting as we were waiting to hear about the new pope.   I was quite giddy with excitement.  We all prayed that Pope Francis hears
the same words from our Lord that St.  Francis of Assisi heard... "Rebuild my
Church."

On Tuesday Pope Francis, a Jesuit priest, was installed as the first Latin American pope.  

“I am very happy with the selection.  I’m sure Pope Francis will give significant hope to the church in Latin America where Catholicism is growing, and I think he will encourage us all to simplify our lifestyle and return to the basics of our faith. He seems to truly embody the role of shepherd of the people,” stated Kevin Attridge, religion teacher.

Pope Francis chose to have his inaugural Mass on the feast of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary rather than a specific Mass for the inauguration of a Roman pontiff.  Over 200,000 Romans and pilgrims flocked to St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City to partake in his inaugural Mass.  Under beautiful blue skies and warm temperatures with bells ringing, Pope Francis toured St. Peter’s Square in an opened top Popemobile warmly greeting and waving to the crowds as they shouted, “Long live the Pope!”  He took the time to stop and kiss babies and even got out of his jeep to bless a disabled man.

Although,the school community of Mater Dei Prep and Saint Mary School are not physically in Rome to experience this historical moment for our Church, they are still filled with feelings of great affection and admiration for Pope Francis and
filled with great hope for the future of the Church and the work of the Holy
Father.  The following are quotes from our high school and elementary school students.

High school students:

 When I first heard about the election of the new pope, I was intrigued to find out that he was of Jesuit roots. I immediately turned on the news to see the live brodcasting of the Pope giving his blessing. I was stunned to see the amount of people who showed up to the Vatican City. The support of the people was truly inspiring and uplifting. I can only imagine what Pope Francis was feeling when he stepped out on the balcony for the first time, to see the community of Catholics welcoming him. My thoughts and prayers are with him as he embarks on the long journey to better the church, inside and out. -Olivia Apeland, sophomore

"I think it's very refreshing to have a pope who is non-European for the first time in over a thousand years. I think it is a great honor for Argentina and South America to have a pope chosen from this area for the first time ever. He is the first Jesuit priest and a man of simplicity. His name Pope Francis reflects his
belief in humbleness. As he goes through this jounrey, many people will be
expectant of him. He is faced with many challenges, but he is surely to bring
solutions."  -Ellen Fitzsimmons, sophomore

Eighth grade students:

Nick Smith: "He shares the love of God with us as we share the love back to
him."

Erin Rose Gerity: "I think this was an incredible experience.  In my life I've lived in two millenniums, two decades, two centuries.  I've seen the first black-American President and now I've seen a Pope resign - which has not happened for
centuries.  It was amazing to see the first Pope Francis on that balcony."

Kaitlyn Marino: "The new Pope seems very friendly and down to earth.  I also noticed that he has a kind smile that warms your heart."

Paige DeSimone: "We have a new leader...a new journey."  

Savannah Connolly: "Pope Francis seems like a really nice, humble guy.  I am very excited that we have a new Pope because it is a very rare occurrence."

Shannon Burke: "Pope Francis  ...An incredibly humble and spiritual man." 

Caroline Hourican: "The Pope seems like an honest, humble man.  I am looking forward to what new ideas he will bring to the Catholic Church." 

Riley Fitzpatrick: "I think he is the right man for the job and will do what is right."

Matthew Wagner: "God chose him for a reason.  He will do great things for the Christians." 

Daniella Tollevsen:  "It's funny how millions of people can love a man they just saw for the first time!"

Emilee Skillman:  "A new Pope is a new future."

Sean Molicki: "When I saw the white smoke on my teacher's laptop, I was elated!"

Stefan Gustafsson: "Without a Pope it is tough, but with a new Pope a new door is
opened."

Kevin Olausen: "Just seeing him made my heart jump for joy."

Katie Touhey: "Being a Pope is like being an electrician.  It is their job to keep our lights on. (following the light of God)  They fix the lights if they go out. 
(Those times when we cannot find God)  I think that Pope Francis will do a
great job of this!"

In his inaugural homily Pope Francis was interrupted by applause several times. 
He spoke about protecting the environment, the weakest and the poorest.  “The role of the pope is to open his arms and protect all of humanity, but especially the poorest, the weakest, the lest important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love:  the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked, the sick and those in prison.  Today amid so much darkness awe, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others.  To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope, it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds”, he said. 

The students of Mater Dei Prep and Saint Mary School community actively participate in Christian service projects and are encouraged daily to live the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, and they were inspired by Pope Francis remarks “to never forget that authentic power is service, and that the pope too, when exercising power, must enter more fully into service.”

The Vatican is a proponent of social media, and Pope Francis’s first tweet was “Dear friends, “I thank you from my heart, and I ask you to continue to pray for me.”  The students and parishioners will certainly keep Pope Francis in their daily prayers and are among the more than two millions followers of his twitter account.  It certainly is a historical and exciting time for our Catholic Church, our students, our parents and parishioners. “Viva el Papa Francisco!”