MILWAUKEE — Just 12 hours after hearing the news of Pope Francis's passing Monday morning, Dashal Young was at the Church of the Gesu in Milwaukee with his hands folded in prayer.
"I heard it at 2:30 in the morning, I heard it overnight. And then I thought no," Young said, who reflected on the Pope's impact. "He was transformational; he was a transformational leader. He not only cared about the flock, but he actually did it in action."
This sentiment of Pope Francis being a man of action resonated throughout the Mass led by Father Michael Simone on Monday afternoon.
"He knew what his call from God was, and he just threw himself into it," Simone said.
Simone even recalled his initial surprise when Francis was selected as Pope, as a Jesuit had never held the position.
"(I'm) Thinking like, who is this guy, and then realizing he's a Jesuit and thinking, no that's gotta be a mistake," Simone said. "As a Jesuit myself, we've always been told there would never be a Jesuit Pope."
Watch: Milwaukee Catholics remember Pope Francis as a 'Transformational Leader'
In the final days of his life, Pope Francis visited prisoners in Rome, which parishioners saw as emblematic of his philosophy.
"We're to care for the poor, the marginalized, the excluded; that's what Jesus did," said Bill Lipscomb, a parishioner at the Church of the Gesu."(He) Went to be with sinners, went to be with the excluded, we're to do that, and Pope Francis was the model for how to do that, even for a person in a powerful position."
Peg Flynn, another parishioner, described Francis's vision: "That it's a church for the world, a big tent."
This inclusive approach to leading a global church particularly resonated with Young.
"For Black Catholics, Pope Francis was aware of people. He visited all continents, he visited people that didn't look like the Catholic Church, and I think that's quite significant under his papacy," Young said.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
