Remembering Pope Francis
Cristo Rey Jesuit lovingly remembers the life and legacy of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. Our school community celebrates our first Latin American pope and only Jesuit pope. The Jesuit and Spanish-language connections only further emphasize his place in our Cristo Rey family.
As our community prays for the life of our beloved Holy Father, we are blessed that our school community has a very special connection to Pope Francis. We fondly remember the momentous occasion nearly 10 years ago when he gave our school an unprecedented virtual audience, and spoke directly to two students, Valerie Herrera '16 and Alexandra Vasquez '16.
Cristo Rey Jesuit was one of three locations chosen to host an historic virtual papal audience which aired exclusively on ABC national news. The event occurred one week into the start of the 20th academic year on August 31, 2015, in our Chapel of the Sacred Heart. While it was indeed a historic event, it was also a true spiritual experience for so many.
Reflecting on the event in 2015, it was written:
“When it was announced that he was the special guest who would appear on the screen in the front of the chapel, our students cheered. And then they listened. They listened to him speak, to our students converse with him, and then to the men, women and children who shared their stories with the Pope. It was amazing to see a room of nearly 150 high school students all focused. They knew they were experiencing something special.
There was a connection, a bond that was formed in the chapel. This person they had seen on television, read about, or heard about became human to them. He was a real person, as if he was their parish priest listening and engaging with them directly.
We spoke to two long-time religion teachers here in the school about the impact on the students. They shared with us how very impressed the students were that the Pope, a busy and important man, took the time out of his day to listen to them and to be with them. They also liked that he didn’t have a prepared speech, but rather spoke to them from his heart. They remembered him telling them to be courageous and to walk with other people. And they recalled him saying that you may fail in life, but you can learn from it. It is okay to fall, just get back up and keep moving. These were the words that moved them and will likely stay with them for their entire lives. They understood that the pope was speaking to them and to their experience.
After his virtual visit, students asked to start praying for him in religion classes and have done so every day since August. They also were more aware of and excited about his visit to the United States. All of the seniors in Ethics classes watched the Pope’s address to Congress. Their teacher said it had been a very long time since she has seen students excited or anticipating current events the way these students were. She said it was because the Pope is no longer just someone on television. They saw his heart and personality that day at Cristo Rey. They are inspired by him and now look at him as a Latino leader and role model. He is someone who really cares about them.
As for our two students who directly spoke to the Pope, Valerie, who wanted to be a pharmacist is now considering music therapy and speaking more openly about her vitiligo and bullying. Alexandra found healing in speaking to the Pope about her father’s death, which has brought peace and an ability to move forward. Both families also expressed that they felt as if the Pope blessed them, too.”
For the past 10 years, Pope Francis’s virtual visit has been a source of pride for our entire Cristo Rey community of students, faculty and staff, as well as our corporate partners, Board members, donors, and long-time friends, creating a connection to a special experience that will forever be a part of the history of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School.
