The Catholic Church held much of the world’s focus for 27 days this spring, as Catholics mourned the death of Pope Francis then celebrated the election and installation of Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova University graduate and the first U.S.-born pope.
Some pilgrims from the Philadelphia region witnessed these momentous events in person in Rome. For Ward Fitzgerald, the funeral Mass of Pope Francis “was emotional. I was surprised by how emotional I was.”
Fitzgerald led more than 40 people on the annual pilgrimage to Vatican City hosted by the Chester, Pennsylvania-based Papal Foundation, which he serves as president of the Board of Trustees. The trip, planned long before Easter, began two days after the Holy Father’s death.
“It was emotional for everyone at the end of the funeral when the pallbearers tilted the coffin up toward the crowd,” Fitzgerald said. “I don’t think there was a dry eye. I cried quite emotionally at the idea of his final farewell. It was like his tip of his hat through his pallbearers.”
Fitzgerald said that the group of pilgrims had many opportunities to interact with cardinals before the conclave to elect the next pope began, either at dinners or at events in Rome.
“Not one of them talked about the conclave or talked about the process. They all just discussed that they were having meetings, discussed the future of the Church,” he said.
Fitzgerald also observed that the anticipation of the conclave gave way to a sense of shared personal mission.
“As lay people, we don’t get to be Peter,” he said. “But in Philadelphia, we have a cathedral that’s named after the two most prominent founders of the Church outside of Christ, and that’s Peter and Paul. We’re all called to be Paul.”
Scant days later, the Catholic world had a new leader, a surprising name and one that brought Father Dennis Gill, the rector of the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, to quickly book a flight to Rome for his installation Mass.
“I was experiencing the joy of the crowd and my own amazement, first of all, that it was Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American,” said Father Gill.
“I waited a few days and thought about going, and I couldn’t put it aside. It just became stronger and stronger. I mentioned to the Archbishop that I would like to go to Rome for the solemn Mass beginning the Petrine ministry of Pope Leo XIV. He approved of it, but was amazed that I was doing it on such short notice and so spontaneously. I got a ticket, got a place to stay, and everything fell into place so beautifully.”
Father Gill had a whirlwind weekend on May 17 and 18, as he first coordinated the Mass with the Rite of Ordination of five new priests who will serve within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The end of that Mass, on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, led to a 13-hour sprint across the Atlantic Ocean to the Vatican.
“I had to be in Rome at least by 7:30 Sunday morning (1:30 a.m. Philadelphia time) so I could be at the Mass that began at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square,” Father Gill said.
“The Lord worked it all out. I got my ride to the airport. The plane was on time. We arrived on time, 7:30 a.m. Rome time. I quickly went to the place where I was staying, put water on my face, put my cassock on and went up to the square. I was there in plenty of time.”
The moment that struck Father Gill the most was during the homily when Pope Leo XIV turned the spotlight off himself and onto Christ.
“He invited the whole world to turn to Christ, the whole world,” Father Gill said. “And then not only to turn to Christ, but draw near to him. That expression was a moment of great renewal.
“I also was able to go on Tuesday to St. Paul’s Outside the Walls when our Holy Father took possession of that Patriarchal Basilica. It was a beautiful moment as well, and he gave an excellent teaching on grace and salvation, again centering on Christ.”
Father Gill summed up his experience, and that of many Catholics in those 27 days, as a coming together of the Holy Spirit and humanity.
“What we witnessed here in the election of Pope Leo XIV was a moment of tremendous communion, of cooperation, of interaction — the Holy Spirit and the people of God, especially represented by the cardinals,” Father Gill said. “It’s tremendous.”
In the days following the installation, Auxiliary Bishop Efren Esmilla also had the honor of meeting Pope Leo XIV. He presented the pope with a replica of the Liberty Bell engraved with the Filipino toast Mabuhay, meaning “long live!” The gift expressed a warm cultural greeting and heartfelt wishes for the new pontiff’s ministry.
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