Honoring Pope Francis - Midwest Province

The Midwest Jesuits Honor Pope Francis

News Coverage Featuring Midwest Jesuits

Leading with mercy – honoring the legacy of Pope Francis featuring Fr. James Bretzke, SJ
Saint Ignatius students reflect on attending Pope Francis’ funeral featuring students from Saint Ignatius High School
Wisconsin Jesuit priest talks impact of Pope Francis’ passing featuring Fr. Ryan Duns, SJ
Northeast Ohio Jesuit university remembers first Jesuit pope featuring Br. Matt Wooters, SJ
What does Jesuit mean? – NBC Chicago featuring Fr. Patrick McGrath, SJ
Catholic Jesuit leaders praise Pope Francis – WTOP News featuring Fr. Brian Paulson, SJ
‘That warmth, that loving connection’: Milwaukee Jesuit priest recalls January meeting with Pope Francis featuring Fr. Joe Laramie, SJ
Xavier University priest on the life of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope featuring Fr. Eric Sundrup, SJ
Father Tim Kesicki remembers the life of Pope Francis – NPR
Fr. Tim McCabe, SJ, president and CEO of the Pope Francis Center talks on Pope Francis
As a Jesuit, losing Pope Francis felt a lot like losing my dad by Br. Jim Boynton, SJ
Six Milwaukee Catholics share the impact Francis and his teachings had on their lives featuring Fr. Aaron Pierre, SJ, and Fr. Michael Simone, SJ
Northwest Ohio Jesuit teacher reacts to death of Pope Francis featuring Fr. Brian Lehane, SJ
Honoring a pope of firsts: Xavier University reflects on Pope Francis’ legacy featuring Fr. Eric Sundrup, SJ
SIU’s Father Brown: Pope Francis’ legacy is advocating for the marginalized, forgotten featuring Fr. Joseph A. Brown, SJ
Saint Ignatius school group headed to Rome featuring Fr. Ray Guiao, SJ
Remembering Pope Francis AMDG podcast featuring Fr. Brian Paulson, SJ
Pope Francis had ‘unique ability to talk to people’s hearts’ featuring Fr. Tim Kesicki, SJ
Pope Francis laid to rest, Father Jim Bretzke joins FOX6 to share insight
Pope Francis, Caravaggio and being caught up in the Spirit featuring Fr. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ

His impact will be remembered for mercy that's a word that people will associate with Pope Francis.

Br. Matt Wooters, SJ
John Carroll University

That warmth, that loving connection, I'll never forget it.

Fr. Joe Laramie, SJ
Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, USA

He has done a great service for the Church in helping us to see who our neighbor is—the person right in front of us. Whether they deserve it or not doesn't matter. God's love is boundless and extends to all—He showed us what that looks like.

Fr. Ryan Duns, SJ
Marquette University

He wanted the cardinals to think about the Church as a missionary organization—going out into the world. That's very much his Jesuit life and training. That sense of going out into the world—not staying in the confines of a university, or the Church, or whatever it might be—but to go into the world because you can trust that God is out there, too. And I think you saw that play out in Francis all over the place.

Fr. Patrick McGrath, SJ
Old St. Pat's Church

His legacy, his signature move has been to try to invite us to be a more listening church, on all levels. He’s going to be remembered for his writings from 2015 on the care for the environment. It’s just eloquent, it’s science-based… It was a distress cry. His important writings have a profound social analysis in them.

Fr. Brian Paulson, SJ
President of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States

Pope Francis was a man who wanted to accompany the poor, the alienated, the marginalized, and to offer a word of hope to a weary world desperately in need of it.

Fr. Ryan Duns, SJ
Marquette University

He wanted to show people a church that welcomes them in, right, that invites them into that experience in getting to know who Jesus is and inviting a big group of people like people who thought they couldn't be part of the church or were worried about being part of the church.

Fr. Eric Sundrup, SJ
Xavier University

He was the first Jesuit ever to be elected pope... the Jesuit order was founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1540, and largely for the care of souls, with a focus on the intellect. Pope Francis grew out of that. He served, had a great love for the poor, in his native Argentina, but rose to become archbishop of Buenos Aires. And when he was elected pope and he came out, he had this very humble demeanor.

Fr. Tim Kesicki, SJ
Bellarmine House of Studies

He's preached about his understanding that the most vulnerable among us are those we should be walking with. That we should not be separate from the people who are experiencing homelessness or refugees or immigrants. We should be right there. The shepherd should smell like the sheep, he says... that mindset of compassion and mercy and forgiveness has kind of permeated his papacy...and that's his legacy.

Fr. Tim McCabe, SJ
Pope Francis Center

From the spiritual vision of St. Ignatius of Loyola, our founder, he would “find God in all things, and in all things love and serve,”... all these things played out during Francis’ time as pope. He inserted himself into the world and found God in the poor, the excluded, the refugee and the marginalized. He emphasized the person in front of him, and that is what characterized him... he fought for peace between nations and for the care of our planet. People, places and cultures were sacred — and gifts of God.

Br. James Boynton, SJ
University of Detroit Jesuit High School

I hope they're [Pope Francis' successor] still able to articulate a vision of the faith that captures people’s attention.

Fr. Michael Simone, SJ
Church of the Gesu, Marquette University

He didn't come in and change a bunch of doctrine — which I think people were scared of. But he drastically changed the way that he lived out the papacy.

Fr. Aaron Pierre, SJ
Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Patrick's Parishes

The pope was a man with a kind heart and open mind, who opened his arms to anyone around him, and he will be remembered as someone who favored those in need. And there's something very powerful about that, even among non-Catholics.

Fr. Brian Lehane, SJ
St. John's Jesuit High School

[Pope Francis] spoke the truth in his heart directly to those he encountered, emphasizing the dignity and worth of all he carried in his concern. ‘Who am I to judge?’ was one of the most powerful statements any leader of religion has uttered in our lifetime. His advocacy for the marginalized, the forgotten, the victims of war and injustice will continue to be part of his legacy.

Fr. Joseph A. Brown, SJ
Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Africana Studies Program

I remember your request of all of us when you stood on the balcony the first evening of your selection as Holy Father. You asked us each to say just one “Hail Mary” for you each day. I’ve tried to do that each day and have your photo in my room where I can see it each morning and each night. You stand with another brother Jesuit, John Francis Regis, whose care for those in need was very much like your own.

Fr. Jim Gschwend, SJ
Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House

In the summer of 2017, Pope Francis invited charismatic leaders, both Protestant and Catholic, to come to Rome to celebrate Pentecost with him... I was the only Catholic in our delegation. During our audience, Pope Francis walked around the room, greeting each of us personally. As he looked me in the eye, I told him I was a Jesuit. He asked me to pray for him. I have taken that very much to heart these past 8 years. I’ve no doubt that on that day in Rome, I was shaking the hand of a saint. Now it is my turn to ask Pope Francis to pray for us!

Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House

Francis was part of God’s work in the world around us, and he, too, showed us signs: living simply, espousing humility, befriending the poor, challenging norms, living with great infirmities, and so much more.

Fr. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ
Creighton University

The Midwest Jesuits Honor Pope Francis

News Coverage Featuring Midwest Jesuits

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