Lucia Silecchia

As I think of Pope Francis’s time here with us, and his celebration of the canonization Mass in our midst, there are many things, some quick snapshots that I will always remember:

The joy of the crowd that grew each minute that the Mass drew closer.

The random meetings with people from so many parts of my life — my parish, my circle of friends, my students, my colleagues, and even my local Dunkin Donuts — all gathered in the same place for the same sacred reason.

The lump that came to my throat when the carillon rang out our joyful expectation.

The remarkable simplicity of the canonization rite.

Hearing “Rejoice in the Lord always …” and realizing that one of my favorite scripture passages, the one I read at my brother’s wedding, was the one I was about to hear proclaimed on yet another special day.

The hymns both familiar and new that praised God in the many ways we strive to capture awe and love in song.

The jubilant laps in the Popemobile and the reverence of the Mass that followed.

The expected smiles of sharing the day with loved ones, and the unexpected tears that came from realizing that there are loved ones with whom I can no longer share great days like this. (Gratefully, tears not captured on the JumboTron.)

And the gift of receiving the Eucharist in that unexplained moment filled with the paradox that the most quiet and intimate moment with God can be in a crowd of thousands.

Were I to write about all these things, this post would be far too long! So, instead, I’ll let the last words be Pope Francis’s. As he prepared to leave the United States, his parting remarks began:

“My days with you have been brief. But they have been days of great grace for me and, I pray, for you too. Please know that as I prepare to leave, I do so with a heart full of gratitude and hope.”

Indeed, his days with us were brief. They were days of great grace for me and, I pray, for you too. As he prepared to leave, I saw him do so with a heart full of gratitude and hope.

— Lucia Silecchia is vice provost for policy, a professor of law at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, and director of the International Human Rights Summer Law Program in Rome.

Greta Haussmann

The real reason that I am experiencing this “papal withdrawal” is because there was such a joyous attitude in our nation and on our campus as we prepared for the Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis. People couldn’t stop talking about all of the beautiful words and actions of the Pope, people were in awe of our Holy Father, and they wanted nothing more than to meet him. People were desperately trying to learn more about the Holy Father and the Catholic Church — there was a sense of renewal happening all around me.

It is disappointing to admit that this joyous attitude that Pope Francis’s visit elicited is slowly fading. We are falling back into our monotonous routines and mundane habits. We are allowing ourselves to forget the grace and joy that we were so blessed to experience a few short weeks ago. It is important for all of us to remember that Pope Francis did not come to elicit momentary emotions; rather he came to renew our spirits so that in turn we can renew the Church and share in the mission of the New Evangelization.

In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis calls us to live the joy of the gospel daily: “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day.”

Whether waiting for Pope Francis motorcade to drive by or waiting for class to start, remember that you are called to be the joy of the Gospel. Let us all learn from Pope Francis’s apostolic visit that we are all fitted to proclaim the New Evangelization with our very lives.

— Greta Haussmann is a junior at The Catholic University of America majoring in theology and religious studies, and media studies.

Linda Plitt Donaldson

• He met with prisoners and called them brothers.
• He met with undocumented immigrants and referred to himself as a son of immigrants.
• He offered compassion to families who lost their loved ones on Sept. 11.
• He reminded people who were homeless that Jesus came into the world as part of a homeless family, and added that there is “no social or moral justification …for lack of housing.”
• He recognized the struggles of families and offered them encouragement.
• He brought his joy and hope to children in Harlem.
• He cautioned us against exclusion, reminding us that “God wants all his children to take part in the feast of the Gospel… to give the impression that it cannot take place in those who are not “part of our group,” who are not “like us,” is a dangerous temptation.
• He addressed policymakers, advocating for peace, promoting the common good, and caring for the poor and the environment.

Pope Francis has shown through word and deed that he is a man of peace, a man of poverty, and a man of justice. He is unafraid to walk in solidarity with the least among us and to speak truth to power. He would have made a wonderful social worker, and certainly serves as an inspiration for our field.

– Linda Plitt Donaldson is an associate professor at The Catholic University of America National Catholic School of Social Service.

Linda Plitt Donaldson

This year, the census data show that despite reported economic growth, the poverty rate (14.8%) remains unchanged from 2013. Of the 46.7 million Americans who remain in poverty, 15 million are children (more than one in five). Poverty continues to have a disproportionate impact on people of color with African American and Latino poverty at 26.3% and 23.6% respectively. (It is important to remember that the federal poverty level for a family of four is $24,250, and very few of us know families of four who can live on $24,250 a year.).

Many of these families work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 10.5 million Americans are among the working poor. And most of the income from these families comes from low-wage work, e.g., cleaning, fast food, retail, home health care, and so on. It’s not just the wages of these jobs that keep working families in poverty. Many of these jobs offer no guarantee of minimum hours, expect 24/7 availability, have unpredictable schedules (e.g., less than a week’s notice about a shift), and have a growing reliance on ‘on call’ shifts. The scheduling issues associated with low-wage work make it very difficult for families with children to participate in the labor force because of the need to arrange regular child care. In addition, many low-wage workers have no paid sick days, and many of them work in conditions that actually make them sick. Workers are afraid of calling in sick or attending to child care emergencies for fear of being fired or having their hours reduced. Rashaun Rodgers works two jobs at $8/hour and struggles to support his family, including a 4-year old son.

His story is similar to the families profiled in the new book by authors Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer, $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America. Edin and Shaefer introduce us to families who are poor, who have a deep desire to work, and who complete hundreds of job applications and accept low-wage jobs under terrible conditions. Yet they often lose these jobs because of the precarious conditions in which they live and the lack of understanding and accommodation by employers. Rae McCormick, a two-time cashier of the month, was fired because she had no means of getting to work after the family members with whom she shared a car drained her tank and did not tell her it was empty. Such stories told by Edin and Shaefer give evidence to the “economy of exclusion” noted by Pope Francis. The authors also document how the combined absence of a true safety net and of sufficient job opportunities has created the conditions for many families in America to be just surviving on $2 a day.

Since the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching with Rerum Novarum, Catholics have cared deeply about the dignity of work and the rights of workers. Pope John Paul II wrote an entire encyclical on work called Laborem Excercens, declaring work the center of the “social question” and noting that work is a “fundamental dimension of human existence.” Work is how we participate in God’s creation, in addition to providing for our families and giving us the means to participate in various spheres of life (family, community political, and economic). Pope Francis observes that work “expresses the dignity of being created in the image of God” and that “work is sacred.” He also acknowledges that dignity through work is “‘under threat by a cult of money which leaves many people without work.” Maximizing profit contributes to the unpredictable schedules and anemic benefits tied to low wage work.

The Community Advocates Public Policy Institute offers some examples of policy solutions that bring meaningful work opportunities to people who are poor. People who are poor want to work. They are hard workers. They need opportunities to work in jobs with wages where they can support their families. They need opportunities to work in jobs that offer predictable schedules, predictable hours, and health benefits. They need work that reflects their dignity.

– Linda Plitt Donaldson is an associate professor at The Catholic University of America National Catholic School of Social Service.

Father Eric de la Pena

Huge Papal events like Wednesday’s Canonization Mass on the Eastern Portico of the Basilica, overlooking CUA’s lawn, can make the Holy Father seem more of a big time celebrity, and less of a messenger of Christ. Surely, everyone who comes wants to get a closer glimpse of him or a handshake if possible and even a Papal-selfie if ever allowed. Cameras will keep on clicking until the Pope is gone. While these gestures of excitement can be expected for a Papal event, the real challenge to everyone is the internalization of his words, during and after his visit. When all has been said and done and the campus eventually returns to its normal course, how many would really remember and care to practice what they heard the Pope preach? Pope Francis travels the globe not to promote himself, but to present Christ to the world.

Like St. Peter, Pope Francis had to leave behind his personal agenda in order to follow Christ’s, especially after he assumed the Petrine Ministry. There’s a beautiful tradition in the Church of the pope taking a new name at the time of his election. It symbolizes the new role that the pope undertakes in serving the Body of Christ. In the Gospel, we see Jesus changing the name of Simon, which means reed in Hebrew—a grass that easily bends and sways with the wind—to Peter, a name that signifies rock—something solid, upon which one can securely build a house. For Simon to become Peter, he had to leave behind everything to follow Christ. Peter’s personal wisdom and prudence are no longer enough. He must rely upon the grace which God provides as Christ indicated, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father” (Mt. 16:17). Let us therefore, heed the Pope’s message and keep it fresh in our hearts and minds as proof that we have not only welcomed him to our campus but also in our hearts.

— Father Eric de la Pena, O.F.M. Conv., is an associate chaplain for faith development at The Catholic University of America.

Father Eric de la Pena

Since the Holy Father is also scheduled to arrive here shortly, the volunteers found another motivation to generously serve the community. This year’s day of service was named “Serve with Francis Day.” It is indeed a fitting gift to the Holy Father who has the noble title of Servus servorum Dei, that is, the “Servant of the Servants of God.” This designation is certainly more than just a nice appellation added to the already long list of honorific titles given to the pope. It truly denotes his position in the Church – that is that the Pope is here to serve all of God’s people. He is to live the words of Christ in the Gospel, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:26–28).

Pope Francis has certainly taken the role of serving God’s people to heart very seriously. As “the slave,” he prefers not to live in the luxurious Apostolic Palace but at the modest Santa Marta Guest House of the Vatican where he can dine with the rest of the Vatican employees and visitors. This pope’s Holy Thursday foot washing service is not just a symbolic gesture. Pope Francis has truly sought out the lost and outcast. This year he washed the feet of prisoners in Rome’s Rebibbia prison. Last year he washed the feed of the elderly and disabled at a rehabilitation facility. In 2013 he washed the feet of twelve young people at juvenile detention center.

Pope Francis also has a reputation of making surprise personal calls to troubled folks who could use his fatherly advice – like the one he made to a pregnant unwed mother in Italy and another one in Spain to a struggling homosexual. The stories of Pope Francis placing himself at the feet of God’s people goes on and on.

As we get closer to meeting the Pope next week, let us pay close attention not only to his words, but to his great example as well. If there’s anything constant in his message, it is his call to exercise mercy and compassion. Our world needs to halt its self-destructive path fueled by self-centeredness and lack of concern before it is too late. Pope Francis challenges us now to have that kind of magnanimity of heart which can say with St. Peter, “What I have, I give you.”

— Father Eric de la Pena, O.F.M. Conv., is an associate chaplain for faith development at The Catholic University of America.

Melissa Moschella

A pope’s visit is always an extraordinary moment of grace, a time in which God touches the hearts of people in a special way, leading some to return like the prodigal son and be welcomed anew into their Father’s house, sparking in others a new and deeper conversion; illuminating some to discover their particular vocation in life, strengthening others on the path of joyful fidelity to their calling. And for the nation as a whole, a papal visit is an opportunity for spiritual growth and renewal, an impetus to take concrete steps in order to bring our laws and culture more closely into line with the demands of human dignity.

One of the reasons why see such extraordinary grace at work during a papal visit is that millions of people around the world are united in prayer for this special intention. Now that the Pope’s arrival is imminent, we can each ask ourselves: How am I contributing to the fruitfulness of the Pope’s visit through my own prayer and sacrifice? How am I preparing my own heart to respond to the graces that God wants shower upon me during this time?

We don’t need to do extraordinary things: Perhaps we can challenge ourselves to spend a few minutes each day in prayerful conversation with God or meditation on the Scriptures, offering this time (and the sacrifice involved in carving out those moments of quiet time in our busy schedule) for Pope Francis and the fruits of his visit. Perhaps we can resolve to be more diligent in a particular aspect of our work or studies, offering that effort to God for this intention. Perhaps we can find concrete ways to treat the others around us with greater kindness and respect, offering a sympathetic ear to someone whose conversation we find a bit tiresome, smiling and being courteous to family members, roommates or colleagues even if we’re tired or having a hard day. … The possibilities are endless!

These, and many other small resolutions that we might make to live out our calling as Christians with greater joy and fidelity, are the kinds of things that Pope Francis has been exhorting each of us to do in his homilies, audiences, speeches, and writings. They may seem small, but so is the bit of leaven that enables the whole loaf of bread to rise, or the pinch of salt that gives flavor to a meal. These are all ways in which we can strive to walk with Francis, supporting his efforts to bring the Good News to the people of Cuba and the United States, and preparing our own hearts for the blessings that God wants to send us.

— Melissa Moschella is an assistant professor at The Catholic University of America School of Philosophy.

Greta Haussmann

With all of this excitement in the air, I have been reminding myself to look past the frenzy and focus on preparing myself for the Holy Father’s visit. Most of my preparation has been focused on my demeanor, while some preparation has taken the form of service. Regarding my demeanor: I decided to take time to reflect upon the things that I love most about our Holy Father, and what came to mind were his simplicity, his graciousness, and his humility. I have chosen to take time in prayer and in my actions to work on cultivating simplicity, graciousness, and humility in my life. Regarding service, I have pledged to #WalkWithFrancis by committing time to service. During student leader training, I had the opportunity to participate in a day of service with Centennial Village staff in the Brookland community by helping facilitate a “Community Day” at a local park.

Serving in this capacity was a fruitful experience and it reminded me of the value of community and outreach; but I also know that Pope Francis calls Christians to something deeper than one-time service. Pope Francis says, “To be Christian is to do what Jesus did — serve. To be Christian isn’t about appearances or social conduct, it isn’t putting a bit of makeup on the soul so that it’s a little more beautiful.” It is important for us to remember that as Christians we are called to continuous service. However, it is equally important to remember that we are called to authenticity in our lives of service. Pope Francis is calling us to be genuine with our fellow Christians in our words and actions — he is calling us to serve as we are, not as we believe we ought to be.

As a student leader on the Catholic University campus I feel called to live a life of service, rather than making service an isolated event. Furthermore, I find Pope Francis’s words regarding what it means to be Christian quite relevant to serving as a student leader — being a leader is not about being perfect, once again, it is about being authentic. Pope Francis has taught me the importance of being a genuine witness as a student leader here at CUA. As we continue to prepare for the papal visit, I challenge you to live a life of authentic service and leadership.

— Greta Haussmann is a junior at The Catholic University of America majoring in theology and religious studies, and media studies.

Lucia Silecchia

This spring, I had a chance to think again about Saint John Paul II in a more personal way when I traveled to Wadowice, his hometown, and visited the sites important to his youth. I saw the parish church where he was baptized and the baptismal font where, in his words, “it all began.” I saw the town square where he played with his young friends — many of whom would not see much of adulthood, losing their lives in the death camps or on the battlefields that would quickly engulf their lives. I saw the programs from his high school drama productions, and thought about how different the world would be if he had followed his early ambitions to be a poet or an actor. I saw the photos of the family he lost — a sister he never knew, a beloved mother who died when he was only 9, a brother studying medicine who died treating the ill, and a devoted father who passed from this life before young Karol was ever ordained a priest. I saw the dining hall where his father took him to eat when the two lived alone, and I saw the orphanage run by religious sisters who cared for him as a boy during the times when his father could not. In the interest of historic inquiry, I ate at a few bakeries that each claimed to sell the very crème cakes he enjoyed as a boy, and in the interest of curiosity, I visited the museum devoted to his life.

But, perhaps most intimately, I visited his childhood home. A three-room flat on the second floor of a modest building, there was a simple bedroom he shared with his father, a small kitchen, and a neat sitting room that went unused after the shadow of his mother’s death fell on the home. In those few rooms, he grew up and came to know the God who would sustain him in the many sufferings he knew in youth, the blessed Mother who would comfort him in the trials of his life, and the understanding of what it is to live with fear and hope, with joy and sorrow, with great love and great loss.

This home was located just across an alley from the parish church where Karol and his father would go to Mass each morning. What caught my eye was a large sundial mounted on the side of the church — a sundial now marked with the precise time of Saint John Paul II’s death. Over the sundial was a Polish inscription that read, “Czas Ucieka Wiecznosc Czeka” or, “Time Flies, Eternity Waits.” That made an impression on me, and so, of course, I had to go to the gift shop and buy a picture of the sundial to keep in my office.

“Time Flies, Eternity Waits.” These were words that young Karol would have seen out of his window every day and they are, I think, important words to live by. In a recent talk I gave to a group of lawyers, I mentioned that one of the most frequent replies we give to the question, “How are you?” is “I’m busy.” I’m not sure whether lawyers or Washingtonians are more prone to busy-ness than others, but I do know that it is so easy to get caught up in the things that make time fly. But, perhaps what gave Saint John Paul II the serenity, courage, and fortitude to live the life he did was knowing that in spite of all that makes time fly here on earth, it is eternity that waits — patiently and peacefully. Perhaps that is a reminder in the days ahead to do what is urgent, pressing, and necessary — but not at the expense of those things that are truly important because they point our way toward eternity. I would like to think that now, in the peaceful joy of eternity, Saint John Paul II prays much and often for his busy successor. I would also like to think that as the days leading up to Pope Francis’s visit fly by, that we will find much to remind us of the eternity that awaits us all.

— Lucia Silecchia is a professor of law at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. She also is director of the International Human Rights Summer Law Program in Rome.

Linda Plitt Donaldson

In Sollicitudo rei Socialis Pope John Paul II used the example of the “nonviolent demonstrations [of the poor] to present their needs and rights to oftentimes corrupt and inefficient authorities” as a “positive sign …[of a] growing … solidarity.” And now Pope Francis is putting hope in the power of community organizing to restore dignity to the poor and to care for our common home.

In 1970, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops passed a resolution to start the Campaign for Human Development to address the structural causes of poverty by supporting the self-help efforts of communities to fight for and defend their right to live and flourish in a manner consistent with their dignity. For 45 years CCHD has been standing in solidarity with low-income communities in their efforts to demand justice and create economic opportunities that offer living-wage jobs.

The PICO National Network, founded by Jesuit priest Rev. John Bauman in 1972, has organized a #TellthePope campaign to highlight for the Pope the profound economic and racial challenges being experienced by families and communities in the United States. Through their Year of Encounter campaign, PICO is challenging communities to engage in “radical encounters of inclusion and to organize for workers’ rights.” At the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, they hope to convey the message to Pope Francis that poverty and racism are critical issues in the United States that ravage families and perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

Social workers have long been involved in organizing. They have organized and fought for the rights of children, women, workers, people of color, and people who are poor. The profession includes social justice giants such as Dorothy Height, Whitney Young, and Ron Dellums and lesser-known organizing heroes such as Diana Ming Chan and Antonia Pantoja.

Social workers continue to be engaged in organizing for social justice on a range of issues. For example, Elizabeth Alex is the lead organizer for Casa de Maryland, fighting for the rights of immigrants. Hannah Kane is organizing for the rights of workers with the DC Employment Justice Center. Adam Schneider is fighting for the rights of people who are homeless with Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore.

The social work profession is largely known for the clinical and direct services it provides to vulnerable and marginalized populations. Yet, the profession also has a legacy of community organizing and social reform that enables it to address both immediate needs and structural causes of poverty and human suffering. Catholics refer to that as walking with two feet of love in action. This is what Pope Francis is calling all of us to do, and the social work profession walks tall and proud with him in our shared vision of justice, mercy, and compassion in the world.

– Linda Plitt Donaldson is an associate professor at The Catholic University of America National Catholic School of Social Service.