Students and Alumni Recall Encounters with Pope Francis

As members of The Catholic University of America community prepare to welcome Pope Francis to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the University campus, many are looking back fondly on times when they have encountered Pope Francis in Vatican City.

Rising Sophomore Alycia Monaco of Washington, N.J., who recently returned from a three-week First-Year Experience program abroad in Rome, said she was lucky enough to see Pope Francis in person several times. She attended a papal audience in which he spoke about the value of strong Catholic relationships and later went to a papal Mass on the Feast of Corpus Christi at St. John Lateran Church. After the Mass, she and her friends went outside in time to see the Pope ride by in his motorcade.

“The coolest part about seeing him was seeing how much he enjoyed the people,” said Monaco. “When I saw Pope Francis during the audience, he appeared in his car, uncovered, smiling, waving, and kissing any nearby babies.

“After the Mass for the Feast of Corpus Christi ended, I saw the Pope once again, but this time he was in his motorcade, with the windows rolled down flashing a smile and sharing many waves with the people congregated on the street. He seems to love interacting with the people.”

Alumnus Ajani Gibson (far left) exchanges zuchettos with Pope Francis during a 2013 audience in Rome. (CNS Photo)

Ajani Gibson, from New Orleans, La., graduated in May with a degree in theology. He remembers having an up-close-and-personal meeting with Pope Francis during his semester studying abroad in Rome in fall 2013.

Gibson and some friends from the University decided to attend a papal audience in November. Because they arrived early, they were in the first row of one of the sections closest to where the Pope would speak. A member of their group brought a box of zucchettos with the hope that Pope Francis would bless one.

During the audience, Gibson held up the zucchetto as the Pope rode past his group two times. On his third time around, the Pope grabbed the zucchetto from Gibson’s hand and placed it on his head. He took off the zucchetto he had previously been wearing and gave it to Gibson.

“All I could do was give him a thumbs-up. I was in tears at that point,” Gibson said. “I didn’t expect him to give me the zucchetto he had on. It was an incredible experience and I was blown away because I had just switched zucchettos with Pope Francis.”

Though he doesn’t have the zucchetto — the woman who brought the box of zucchettos took it back to her parish in Florida — Gibson treasures the memory of his personal exchange with Pope Francis.

“It makes it really personal because I had an encounter with him, even though it was so fast,” he said. “You get to really see that this is a man who is making a difference. Even though he’s this big international headliner, there is a person there who seeks to encounter other people.”

Today, Gibson works as the assistant to the director of liturgy at the Basilica. This fall, he will begin pursuing a master’s in liturgical study at CUA. He says he is excited and proud that Pope Francis is coming to the University.

“It’s an incredible experience for CUA to have Pope Francis come and say Mass on campus,” he said. “What other university can say that we had three popes come? That’s an amazing experience!”

Junior Joe Cihak shakes hands with Pope Francis before serving as his altar service during a Mass in Rome this Spring.

Joe Cihak, a rising junior accounting major from Corvallis, Ore., experienced a similar thrill when he met Pope Francis on Good Friday this past spring. Cihak, who was studying in Rome for the semester, was given the opportunity to be an altar server during a papal Mass, thanks to his uncle, Monsignor John Cihak, who is a Vatican official.

Before Mass, Cihak and the other altar servers helped to prepare the altar. Five minutes before the Mass was to begin, the group gathered in the Pope’s personal sacristy, where he greeted each one and shook hands.

“I got to speak to him briefly,” Cihak said. “I did not say anything to him in English because that’s not his first language. I simply said, ‘Good evening, Holiness,’ in Italian and he replied, ‘Good evening.’”

Cihak said a funny moment happened when one of the deacons in the room brought a chalice to be blessed in anticipation of his priestly ordination. While greeting the group, Pope Francis looked at it and asked jokingly, ‘Is it a gift for me?’ before giving the man a hug.

“Pope Francis is a very humble and loving pope, so it was amazing to be able to see him interact with each of the servers very professionally and very nicely,” Cihak said. “Even when there’s not a lot of media around, he still does small things like that. He’s not just putting on a huge show all the time. He really is a very loving person.”

After spending five months in Rome, Cihak said he was thrilled to hear that he would be in the presence of Pope Francis again in September.

“I can’t wait to see what the energy will be like,” he said. “I feel like Pope Francis speaks a lot to younger students and that there will be a lot of excitement going around.”

Cihak believes students can learn a lot from Pope Francis, including how to make the most of their own personalities and gifts for the service of God.

“It’s important to remember that this is a man who is doing all these great things and inspiring all these people and he didn’t ask to do this, but he’s doing good with what is given to him,” Cihak said. “People need to follow his example and understand that who they are is enough. Just be yourself and make do with what God has given you and you can accomplish great things like Pope Francis does.”