UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — As John Carroll University prepares for its Mass of Remembrance, a campus minister and a student shared their reflections in honor of Pope Francis on Monday.
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“I was looking at Instagram like everybody else. Came across my news feed and just deep sadness,” said Brother Matt Wooters, a campus minister at John Carroll University.
The mass is scheduled to take place inside John Carroll University’s St. Francis Chapel, where a small arrangement of flowers and a picture of 88-year-old Pope Francis have already been set up.
“Though he didn’t change church doctrine radically, it was his tone. The way he reached people, the way he approached people. He was very interested in young people, his care for migrants and refugees. It was very admirable,” said Wooters.
When News 5 spoke with Wooters, he used words like admirable, holy and humble to describe Francis, while also sharing his experience meeting the Pope in 2022.
“There was a meeting, and he surprised us and came, and it was a huge surprise. He spent two hours with us, question and answer, he had lunch with us. He gifted me a little rosary. It was really wonderful,” said Wooters.
This time with Pope Francis is a moment Wooters said he will always cherish now that the Vatican has announced Francis’s death just one day after Easter on Monday, which came as a surprise for some, like Joe Bilas.
“I was shocked, and at the same time, it was kind of like expected, but also unexpected because the Pope has been in and out of the hospital,” said Joe Bilas, a sophomore at John Carroll University.
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Still, Bilas said Pope Francis’ presence will be missed, and he even thanked the Pope for his perspective on social justice and his support for younger generations, where Bilas said he made them feel seen and heard.
“To have someone in a position of prominence like that say ‘Hey, we see you, we see your needs and we’re going to do something about it and stand up for you. I think that as Brother Matt said, that inspires me,” said Bilas.
As the world continues to mourn this great loss, both men hope the next Pope will embody similar characteristics as Pope Francis.
They also encourage the community to follow in Pope Francis’ footsteps.
“As he lived by his example and his values, like we’re called to do the same. To figure out what our values are, stand for them, live by them and act by them,” said Bilas.
The mass will take place at 12:05 p.m. on Wednesday.
