“Many of us woke up Monday morning to the sad news of the death of Pope Francis. Given his recent health conditions, the death was not totally unexpected, but his death brings to a close a remarkable time of leadership in the Catholic Church.”

Those words, from UD Vice President for Mission and Rector Father James Fitz, S.M. ’68, reflect sentiments shared by many about the life and legacy of Pope Francis, who died Monday, April 21. 

Fitz said although no leader is ever able to please everyone he or she serves, Pope Francis leaves a remarkable legacy as a pastor at heart who had a special attention to the poor among us. As archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina, he lived simply and cared for the poor, and he continued that approach to life as he began his papacy. 

“As we mourn the loss of his leadership, let us pray that he might be welcomed into the fullness of God's kingdom,” Fitz said. “May he rest in peace in that kingdom. Let us thank the Lord for Pope Francis’ years of leadership in the Church.”

A leader and teacher

At the University of Dayton, faculty, staff and students shared their thoughts on the pope’s impact on their lives, from the way they approached their careers to how they interacted with others and in the world.   

“As a pastoral minister, I learned so much from Pope Francis, who modeled God's infinite mercy in a way that helped me be a better companion to those that I serve,” said Crystal Sullivan, executive director of UD Campus Ministry. “I saw in him someone who loved like Jesus did. He centered people who are on the margins and he built bridges pastorally. He gave me courage to aspire to do the same.”

Abigail O’Rourke, a sophomore computer science major from Cincinnati, found herself 10 feet from Pope Francis during her trip with other UD students to the Synod on Synodality in Rome last October. He waved to the crowd as the Popemobile made the rounds. 

“I could see him for myself, this great faith leader, and it helped me to put myself in the shoes of the Church,” she said.

At the synod, O’Rourke participated in conversations about interfaith relations and the role of the women in the Church, two of the issues brought forth by Francis. She said she’ll miss Francis, the only pope she has ever known. 

“I feel like I know him personally, though he doesn’t know me specifically, personally,” she said. “It’s interesting to know in some way he has heard my story from the people he engages with through the synod ... women specifically in the synod hall who shared similar stories to mine.”

Dorothy Mensah-Aggrey, curriculum design and adult catechesis coordinator at the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives, said she was honored to meet Pope Francis several times. She said she hoped the world could continue his legacy by embodying the values he promoted, caring for the Earth and reaching out to those in need. 

“As the world mourns Pope Francis, I understand why Christians and non-Christians loved and revered him,” Mensah-Aggrey said. “His encyclicals reflect his true nature. From Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith) and Laudato Si’ (Care for the Earth) to Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers and Sisters) and Dilexit Nos (He loved us), Pope Francis’ message was unequivocally simple: In the light of faith, Christ calls us to care for the Earth and one another as brothers and sisters just as He [Christ] loved us first. May we live this call to holiness by loving others as Christ did through the life of Pope Francis.” 

Care for creation

Fitz said Pope Francis was a strong advocate for Catholic Social Teaching and reiterated the messages of his predecessors on peace and justice. Fitz also highlighted the pope’s writings that called for a commitment to the stewardship of creation. 

"Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations,” Fitz said.

Mary Ellen Dillon, a lecturer in the UD Department of Biology and sustainability scholar with the Hanley Sustainability Institute, said there are “so many reasons” to love Pope Francis, but the pope’s integration of science and faith in his written and spoken words resonated with her calling as a professor. 

“As a devoted and devout science educator, a reason personal to me is how easy he made it to teach biology at a Catholic university,” Dillon said. “For example, he, like other popes before him, reminded the world there is no inherent contradiction between the theory of evolution and the Catholic Christian faith. During the pandemic, having access to the world’s best scientific minds, Francis suggested anyone who could get vaccinated should be vaccinated. He wasn’t heavy-handed in his approach; he didn’t say that failing to vaccinate was a sin. His stance seemed to be rooted in the typically Francis concern for the vulnerable, stating, ‘Getting vaccinated is a simple yet profound way to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable.’ In other words, an act of love.”

Dillon also said many in science and ecological circles recognized how Francis died the day between Easter Sunday — the high holy day of the Christian faith — and Earth Day, “the day we recommit to restoring our biosphere.” 

“Thus Francis, the former high school chemistry teacher turned pope, ended his earthly journey the way he lived it … at the true intersection of science and religion,” she said. 

Care for the poor

From the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis was “ever attentive to the plight of migrants and refugees in our world,” Fitz said. 

He noted how Francis’ first visit outside of Rome was to visit the island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea near where refugees from Africa often were lost by shipwreck. He went there to celebrate a Mass in their honor and to raise one of his most important themes — “our obligation to care for these people who are vulnerable and in need.”

“He placed a high emphasis on the Church's pastoral mission — responding to real people with real needs no matter their personal or social situation,” Fitz said. “I will always remember the first time I read his call for the Church to be a ‘field hospital’ and its role as a place of healing and care for those in need. Pope Francis frequently used this imagery, highlighting the Church's mission to heal both physical and spiritual wounds.”

Fitz noted how Francis undertook an annual rite of imitating Jesus’ washing of the feet on Holy Thursday as an outreach to those who were marginalized, including an instance of washing the feet of women prisoners.

Jennifer Dalton, director of the UD dietetics and nutrition programs, said Pope Francis influenced how she thinks about her life, her work and what it means to live with purpose. She said his words in Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti in particular pushed her to think more deeply about how faith, community and care for others shaped not just her own identity, but how God calls her to show up in the world. 

“He teaches that courage isn’t about having power but about being willing to take risks for love, justice and peace, even when it’s hard.”

“Over the past months, I’ve been spending time reading Pope Francis’ reflections on courage and hope,” Dalton said “He teaches that courage isn’t about having power but about being willing to take risks for love, justice and peace, even when it’s hard. And his reflections on hope as a deep belief that small, loving actions truly matter — rather than simply blind optimism — is particularly meaningful at this time. These insights have become a source of nourishment and a purposeful call to action during uncertain times, helping me stay grounded and continue moving forward.”

Dalton, a Marianist Educational Associate, said Pope Francis’ living example continues to invite her to slow down, to be present, to build community and to keep asking not just what kind of professional she’s becoming but what kind of person. 

“That question, for me, is at the heart of both my vocation and my faith and resonates deeply with the Marianist charism, which calls us to formation in faith, service to others and building communities of justice and peace,” Dalton said.

Campus will gather as a community to pray for Pope Francis and honor his memory during a memorial Mass at 12:30 p.m. Monday, April 28. Hero image of St. Peter's Square at night by Marisa Ferrara. Image of Flyers in Rome by Duncan Fischley. Image of the pope in the Popemobile by Marisa Ferrara. Portrait of Pope Francis from Quirinale.it, via Wikimedia Commons.