On Monday, April 21, following the announcement of Pope Francis’ death, WCVB5 Boston produced a report on local reaction to the news – Catholics across Massachusetts mourn pope, praise groundbreaking papacy.
As part of that report, WCVB reporter Ted Wayman reached out to Kelly Meraw, our Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, for a video segment: How Pope Francis changed the lives of these Massachusetts residents which appeared on the evening news broadcasts.
They spoke in particular about the Holy Father’s special connection with young people, and about our Collaborative’s pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Portugal in 2023.
“Millions, and that’s not hyperbole, there were millions of young people there,” Meraw said. “He did have a heart for the young. He was always trying to meet them where they were and describe how the gospel was relevant in their lives, in their young lives.”
-Kelly Meraw
The report included photos and videos from Portugal, including the unforgettable moment early one morning when the Pope’s motorcade unexpectedly drove right by our group while we were on our way to church:
“He actually said it during World Youth Day – ‘todos, todos, todos’ which is ‘the Church is for everyone, everyone, everyone’ and he was really a pope for everyone. He’s given young people permission to claim the Church as their own.”
-Kelly Meraw
(The video report with Kelly’s interview can be found on the WCVB website embedded within the report Catholics across Massachusetts mourn pope, praise groundbreaking papacy)