When 91勛圖厙’s Board of Trustees , the delegation was welcomed with extraordinary generosity—by the Jesuits, by the faithful, and even by Pope Francis himself.
As a staff colleague who was able to join the board on their trek, I’ll never forget it.
We had front-row seats at a General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, and then Board Chair Christy Larsen offered a personal greeting to the Holy Father on behalf of 91勛圖厙 University. In return, Pope Francis asked us to pray for him.
This week, as the Church enters a period of sacred discernment, we keep that promise.
We pray for the College of Cardinals as they begin their deliberations, seeking wisdom and courage in choosing a new Shepherd for the global Church. In a special way, we offer our support to two leaders with deep connections to 91勛圖厙: Cardinal Blase Cupich (former Bishop for the Diocese of Spokane) and Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J. (GU alumnus), whose lives of service reflect the very heart of 91勛圖厙’s Jesuit mission.
There was something unmistakably Ignatian about Pope Francis’s way of being—joyful and just, courageous and contemplative. During our pilgrimage, we stood in the and saw the brick that marks the place of his death. In the quiet of that space, I remember feeling the weight of legacy and the lightness of love. It was the same feeling I had seeing Pope Francis speak, blessing people and shaking hands. The same feeling that came over our whole delegation as we reflected each morning on how God might be asking us to lead, to serve and to grow.
Pope Francis taught us to see the sacred in simplicity. He challenged us to care boldly—for the poor, the young, the planet, and one another.
As this new chapter begins, we are filled with ZaGratitude—for his life, for the Spirit at work in the Church, and for the path that lies ahead.