Pope Francis (d. April 21, 2025). May he rest in peace.
With heavy and hopeful hearts, we mourn the passing of Pope Francis, a humble servant who led with love, compassion, and courage. His life was a living example of the words often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” Pope Francis showed us the power of kindness, mercy, and action. May his legacy continue to inspire us to walk gently, love boldly, and serve faithfully.
Pope Francis advocated for those who are marginalized and suffering and invited people of goodwill to participate in a culture of encuentro (a faith encounter with God, the poor, and with one another). He summarized his commitment to an integral ecology of Earth and God’s people as, “The cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one,” and he encouraged Catholics to become a Synodal Church that is inclusive, listening, and one that embraces compassionate justice.
In powerful, pastoral gestures and gentle, compassionate words, Pope Francis reached out to the poor and those most in need, and he decried the horrors of war and discrimination against immigrants. And true to his life’s witness, in his final hours, “the people’s pope” thanked his longtime nurse for bringing him a final time to St. Peter’s Square—to be with the people.
Pope Francis' death on Easter Monday, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the promise of eternal life, was an embodiment of the Christian message of mercy and hope—both of which the pope inaugurated as Jubilee Years (Year of Mercy in 2015) and the 2025 Year of Hope. Two of his encyclicals—Laudato Si’ on the environment and Fratelli Tutti on social fraternity—invite us to work together in ethical pursuits, urgent ecological accountability, and calls for political responsibility towards the poor and vulnerable.
The Dominican Sisters of Sparkill are grateful for the warm, welcoming ministry and leadership of Pope Francis, in which we continue to find inspiration and support for a synodal Church and for sustained efforts to promote justice to those most in need, and reverence and responsibility for all creation.
The Dominican Sisters of Sparkill live their mission as joyful women of prayer and compassion who proclaim the Reign of God through ministry for justice and reverence for all creation.