Bishop Dennis Walsh leads the Eucharistic Prayer during a Memorial Mass for Pope Francis April 28 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Trien Ngo celebrated his birthday April 28 with his wife and three children at the Diocese of Davenport’s Memorial Mass for Pope Francis in Sacred Heart Cathedral. “This is my birthday and the kids wanted to go out and celebrate. I said, ‘Come to the Memorial Mass. It’s the perfect gift for me. You can pray for Pope Francis and you can pray for me,’” Ngo said after the evening Mass, standing beside his wife, Trang Tran.
Other members of the cathedral’s Vietnamese Community, which Ngo represents, also celebrated the life and servant leadership of Pope Francis, who died April 21. “He’s the Father of the Catholics, he’s for the poor,” said Son Le, accompanied by his wife, Anh Le, other family members and friends at the trilingual Mass. “They came to the Mass to pray for him. They love the pope,” said Ngo, who translated for Son Le. In the Vietnamese Community, “We looked up to (Pope Francis),” Ngo added. “He lived his life like a normal person, very simple. That touches our heart.”
“In his simplicity and humility, he was a simple pastor who tried every day to authentically live as a disciple of Jesus Christ — committed to the truth and never afraid to speak the truth,” Bishop Dennis Walsh said in his homily. He presided at the Mass that integrated English, Spanish and Vietnamese languages. Eight priests concelebrated and five deacons assisted. Father Thom Hennen, the cathedral’s pastor and the diocese’s vicar general, served as Master of Ceremonies.
“I love it when the Masses are (trilingual). It shows the unity,” said 13-year-old Elyse Slesicki, who attended the Mass because she thought it would be a “cool experience.” The Holy Father led the Church for 12 of her 13 years on earth. “I thought he was a really good pope,” she said.
“Being that we’re Franciscans, It was pretty exciting to have a Franciscan pope,” said Mother Susan Rueve, OSF, director of OCIA for St. Alphonsus Parish in Davenport. “But he was also a Jesuit, so go figure! We’re thinking about and praying for the next (pope),” she added, standing beside Sister Anthony Worrell, OSF, who teaches religion at Assumption High School in Davenport.
Sister Worrell said earlier that day she had been talking with her class about Pope Francis. Her students grew up with Pope Francis and that will have a lasting impact, she said. “His love for the poor is going to filter down to them, even if it’s not taught in the classroom, because he modeled it.”
Bishop Walsh, ordained a bishop just seven months ago, said in his homily that he felt privileged to have been named a bishop by Pope Francis. While watching the pope’s funeral Mass, the bishop said he thought about the contrast between the world leaders gathered in Rome to pay their respects and Pope Francis, “a giant who rose above politics.”
The Memorial Mass readings “provide a profound context for understanding Pope Francis’ mission,” the bishop said. “In the passage from Acts (10:33-43), we hear that ‘God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’ This message of inclusivity resonates deeply with the spirit of Pope Francis’ papacy.”
Bishop Walsh said he watched a YouTube video from March 13, 2013, announcing Pope Francis as the new pope. The commentator expressed gratitude for the selection — and a sense of hope. Throughout his priesthood, Pope Francis always desired to be one with the poor and marginalized. The commentator predicted, “I think we are going to see a very different papacy than what we have been accustomed to.” Bishop Walsh reflected, “Although Acts says God shows no partiality, I believe that he has a special place for the poor and marginalized. As Francis demonstrated to us, the poor have much to teach us, if we would only listen…. We need to listen to everyone.”
The Gospel reading (Matthew 5:1-12a) on the beatitudes also spoke to the mission of Pope Francis. The beatitudes are “blessings bestowed upon the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,” the bishop said. “These words should form the basis of our life.”
Bishop Dennis Walsh delivers his homily about the late Pope Francis during a Memorial Mass April 28 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
Jesus lifts up the poor in these beatitudes and “reminds us that the way in which we grow closer to the Lord is through a life of simplicity and humility. Pope Francis embodied these Scriptures through his actions and his teachings. He was an authentic witness to the Gospel. He consistently emphasized the Church’s role as a ‘field hospital’ for those wounded by the world.”
“His papacy was marked by a desire to open the doors of the Church, reaching out to the poor, marginalized, and migrants,” Bishop Walsh said.
Pope Francis “sought new ways of evangelization to connect with a world that has lost its way. In his speech to the cardinals before his election, he urged the Church to move beyond its comfort zones, its propensity to constant self-reflection to embrace a more mission-oriented posture that would make the Church more present to the world.”
Bishop Walsh encouraged the gathering, himself included, to “strive for an authenticity of life, focusing on being a true disciple of Jesus Christ rather than adhering to political ideologies. For those who think only from a lens of ideology, his papacy was quite threatening,” the bishop said. “For them his words are the most challenging and cutting.”
Pope Francis’ example “challenges us to examine our own lives and to consider how we can better live out the Gospel message in our daily actions,” the bishop said, asking the gathering to ponder these questions:
- How can we reach out to those on the margins?
- How can we be a source of healing and hope in a world that is often marked by division and despair?
“Today, we give thanks for the life and ministry of Pope Francis. Remember his call to be a Church that goes out to the world, a beacon of hope and healing for all,” Bishop Walsh said. “May we continue to be inspired by his example, striving to live out the Gospel message with courage, compassion and unwavering faith.”
