April 22, 2025 // Diocese

‘A Father to the Whole World’: Local Catholics Mourn the Death of Pope Francis

Clare Hildebrandt

Reporter

In the hours following the news of Pope Francis’ death on Easter Monday, April 21, Catholics from across the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend reacted with sorrow but also appreciation for the legacy he left to the Church throughout his 12-year pontificate.

“I think the greatest contribution of Pope Francis to the life of the Church will be his push to go to the peripheries, that the Church can never forget to reach out to those who may be most forgotten and overlooked,” said Father Mark Gurtner, vicar general of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. “For me personally, as a Christian and as a priest, this was a most fruitful lesson.”

Dan Florin, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, echoed Father Gurtner’s reaction, telling Today’s Catholic that “Pope Francis inspired us to live our mission of serving the poor and welcoming the stranger with compassion and charity. His emphasis on seeing the face of Christ in those we encounter compelled us to meet people where they are, serve them with kindness and compassion, and be the face of Christ in return. May he rest in peace.”

Jason Shanks, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc. and a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Fort Wayne, joined other leaders of the National Eucharistic Revival for an audience with Pope Francis in the summer of 2023. Shanks reflected on the legacy of Pope Francis, particularly his compassion for the wounded and suffering, in a statement to Today’s Catholic.

“[Pope Francis’] pontificate was characterized by a call to go to the margins, to encounter Christ in the poor and suffering, and to make the Church a field hospital for a wounded world,” Shanks said.

“One of the great honors of my life was participating in the audience with Pope Francis during our planning for the National Eucharistic Revival in 2023. In that encounter, the Holy Father expressed his deep hope that the Eucharist would not only be adored but lived – that it would lead us to mission. His words that day – ‘the Eucharist is God’s response to the deepest hunger of the human heart’ – remain a powerful reminder of the Church’s vocation in our time.”

Figures such as Holy Cross Father Robert Dowd, president of the University of Notre Dame, echoed Shanks’ statements, praising the pope’s call for “merciful love.”

“As Pope Francis often reminded us, no one is far from God’s merciful love, and the Church must be a ‘field hospital’ to warm hearts, heal wounds, and open doors. … Through his heroic and prophetic ministry, he has inspired and challenged us to respect the God-given dignity of all people and the integrity of creation,” Dowd said in a statement released by university officials. “The University of Notre Dame community joins with the Church and the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis,” Father Dowd concluded. 

Officials from the three other Catholic colleges and universities joined Father Dowd in expressing their sorrow regarding the death of Pope Francis.

“[Pope Francis’] choice of St. Francis of Assisi as a model and namesake for his pontificate was especially meaningful to our campus, as was his commitment to serving the poor and those most in need,” said Dr. Lance Richey, president of the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne. “We commend his soul to the loving Father in heaven.”

Marco Clark, president of Holy Cross College, remarked on the profound effect Pope Francis had on young people.

“For many of our students, Pope Francis has been a constant voice throughout their lives, calling them to be joyful disciples and to find Christ in the face of every person,” Clark shared in a statement. “In Christus Vivit, Pope Francis spoke directly to this generation, saying, ‘Your life ought to be a prophetic stimulus to others and leave a mark on this world, the unique mark that only you can leave.’”

Dr. Katie Comboy, president of Saint Mary’s College, offered a brief statement and shared the Roman Missal’s prayer for the death of a pope, saying: “With profound sorrow, we reflect upon the news of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis and join the universal Church in praying: ‘O God, immortal shepherd of souls, look on your people’s prayers and grant that your servant Pope Francis, who presided over your Church in charity, may, with the flock entrusted to his care, receive from your mercy the reward of a faithful steward.”
Holy Cross Father Daniel G. Groody, author of the book “A Theology of Migration,” which Pope Francis wrote the foreword to, applauded the pontiff’s dedication to the poor and suffering.

“He put great emphasis on remembering those cut off from the body of society. Whether it be washing the feet of prisoners, migrants, and non-Christians during the Holy Thursday exercises or stopping his papal motorcade to embrace the most disfigured and disenfranchised of the human family, he constantly reminded us that God’s love is boundless and knows no limits,” Father Groody said.

Nathan Mills, a young adult Catholic attending Purdue Fort Wayne, told Today’s Catholic about his memories of Pope Francis as a young boy.

“I remember watching on my living room floor as a kid when he was elected pope,” Mills said. “It was such a cool moment.” Mills added: “Throughout his papacy, his openness and compassion was something truly unique. I saw his dedication while at World Youth Day. … Pope Francis inspired me to never forget the basic foundations of our faith while also experiencing new things I had never been exposed to before.”

Monsignor Michael Heintz, pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Granger, expressed his sorrow at the passing of the pope.

“Pope Francis was father not only to us Catholics but to the whole world,” Monsignor Heintz told Today’s Catholic. “We trust in God’s providence to provide us with the next pope. Whoever that is will be our next spiritual father and help us bring Jesus to the world.”

Father Tom Shoemaker, pastor at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Fort Wayne, noted the Argentinian pope’s candidness in interviews.

“I remember him fondly for his willingness to answer questions off the cuff,” Father Shoemaker told Today’s Catholic. “When asked a question, he would give his thoughts. He didn’t take time to consider all of the ramifications of his words, and he didn’t rely on advisers to polish his answers. Of course, this often left others scurrying to explain what he really meant to say, or what he should have said; however, I found this style to be a charming human trait.”

Timothy O’Malley, a noted Catholic author and speaker, as well as the Director of Education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, recalled his fondest memories of Pope Francis.

“Personally, I’ll always remember Pope Francis standing before the crucifix in an empty, rain-swept St. Peter’s Square during the COVID-19 pandemic,” O’Malley said. “For a moment, when the whole world felt on the margins, the successor of Peter turned not to speeches or governmental plans or the blame game that was preoccupying the talking heads on television but to the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ and an icon of the Blessed Mother. He knelt before the Blessed Sacrament, the presence of Our Lord who has pitched His tent among us.”

O’Malley added: “I was in Rome in February for the Jubilee of Artists. Although I have been to Rome a good deal over the last several years because of work related to Notre Dame, this was the first time that I was able to bring my entire family. We gathered in a seasonably warm St. Peter’s Square on Sunday morning to join pilgrims for Mass. As it turns out, this was the last public Mass that Pope Francis would celebrate. Later that week, Pope Francis would go to the hospital. My 7-year-old daughter was captivated by the pope. Upon returning from Rome, she prayed regularly for Papa Francesco. It was almost as if she met him, rather than simply hanging out in the same square during the celebration of Sunday Mass.”

Monsignor Owen F. Campion, chaplain and former associate publisher at OSV, headquartered in Huntington, told Today’s Catholic that “reactions to the death of Pope Francis are revealing – about him and about the mission of the Church – and are challenging to Catholics everywhere.   Reactions show how vividly he is remembered as a voice for, and example of, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who saw and felt human needs and worries, who forgave sinners and offered hope.   People want to know the Lord and to be with the Lord. It is a challenge to all Catholics to be examples of Jesus as was Pope Francis.”

Bob Kloska, chief partnership officer at Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, offered shared the following thoughts with Today’s Catholic following the death of Pope Francis: “Besides calling our attention to the importance of our good stewardship of the natural goods of God’s creation, Pope Francis also famously articulated his desire to see the Church act as a ‘field hospital’ for people wounded by the battles of life,” Kloska said. “This call for the Church to be a ‘first responder’ to the painful challenges of life is needed now more than ever. I hope his legacy will be that this vision becomes more and more a lived reality for us all.”

Kasia Balsbaugh contibuted to this story.