Sister Colleen Gibson, SSJ and her co-host on the “Beyond the Habit” podcast, Sr. Erin McDonald, CSJ, were interviewed on CNN this morning during their pre-funeral coverage.
Sister Colleen and Sister Erin reflected on Pope Francis’ lasting impact, especially on women and young people – click the video below to watch!
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.
The body of the late Pope Francis was transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday to lie in state until his funeral on Saturday morning, April 26 at 10:00am local time (4:00am ET) in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced.
Many U.S. television networks, including NBC, CBS, CNN and ABC, are planning to broadcast the funeral live…
“As the universal Church prepares for Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome, here in the Archdiocese of Boston, there will be three opportunities for clergy, religious, and the lay faithful to pray for our Holy Father’s eternal rest.
On Wednesday evening, April 23, Holy Mass will be celebrated at 7:00 PM at St. Theresa’s Parish in West Roxbury.
On Thursday evening, April 24, Holy Mass will be celebrated at 7:00 PM at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lowell.
On Friday evening, April 25, Holy Mass will be celebrated at 7:00 PM at St. James Church in Stoughton.
I strongly encourage the people of this Archdiocese to join one of these Masses and commend the Holy Father to the Lord.”
I was deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Pope Francis. His legacy as Holy Father is broad and deep. In his ministry and across his writings, he has continuously called us to deeper faith and to a more generous participation in the boundless compassion of God. He has challenged us to turn away from selfish impulses and towards communion with others and respect for God’s creation.
I am personally grateful that he called me to the Episcopacy and entrusted me with the pastoral care of the Church of Boston. His example remains a guiding light to the Universal Church. Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, may he rest in peace.
-Archbishop Richard Henning
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, The Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father’s house. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of God, One and Triune.”
-The text of the announcement of the death of Pope Francis, which was read Monday by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta.
Loving God:
As Francis, our beloved pope, suffers from grave illnesses,
we come before you in prayer.
We ask you to look with mercy on your servant Francis,
who has served you devotedly and tirelessly
as a Jesuit, a priest, an archbishop, a cardinal and as pope…
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
I am writing today to address a few words to you in these delicate moments that you are living as Pastors of the People of God who walk together in the United States of America.
1. The journey from slavery to freedom that the People of Israel traveled, as narrated in the Book of Exodus, invites us to look at the reality of our time, so clearly marked by the phenomenon of migration, as a decisive moment in history to reaffirm not only our faith in a God who is always close, incarnate, migrant and refugee, but also the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person…
Pope Francis has called for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the world on October 7.
He says,
“In this dramatic hour of our history, while the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to devastate entire peoples and nations,” the Christian community is reminded of its call to “put itself at the service of humanity.”
Read more about how fasting relates to prayer…
In Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter, “Laudato si’ – On Care for Our Common Home”, he notes that scripture tells us to “till and keep” the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). “Tilling” refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while “keeping” means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. He calls on all of us to consider how even our smallest daily actions and decisions can shape the future of the planet, for better or for worse.
This winter, staff members in the Collaborative Offices (the former Saint John Convent building) came up with the idea of using the roof of the former sunroom to “till and keep” a vegetable garden – the kind of small step that can help shape a better future. Rooftop gardens can have a positive environmental impact, because the increased surface area of vegetation lowers the surrounding air temperature, and the vegetation helps absorb and purify rainwater and storm runoff…