As the bells tolled 88 times across the grounds of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on April 21, mourners from across the region gathered to remember Pope Francis – many arriving before news of his passing had fully settled in.
Among them was Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul who formerly served as the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.
“I was profoundly sorry, [as a nurse] because I was clinging to him” remaining alive, she said. “But at the same time, I thought – what a beautiful way to exit life… to face our Lord having used your last breath to speak for the poorest people – the people who are being slaughtered around the world.”
Michelle Jong, a regular Mass attendee at the shrine, said she had come to pray for the Holy Father as soon as she heard the news.
“I think he waited until Easter,” she said. “He greeted everyone and celebrated Easter, and that was just a reflection of who he was – he always put God first, and then himself.”
Jong, the mother of an autistic son, said she would remember Pope Francis most for his visible support of people with disabilities.
“He never had them pushed aside,” she said. “He welcomed them. He asked people to pray for them… and to think twice about how we treat people with special needs.”
Though not Catholic, Joshua Baumgardner of Foundry United Methodist Church said he was moved to attend the Mass out of admiration for the pope’s message of love.
“He never failed to show his heart and his humanity,” he said. “Love for the disenfranchised, the immigrant, the poor – that’s what I’ll remember.”
Pilgrims visiting from the Archdiocese of Baltimore said they felt the timing of their visit was providential. Paul Gallagher of Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, Maryland, said his group had come to pass through the basilica’s doors as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope. The National Shrine has been designated as a Jubilee Church, a special place of pilgrimage for the holy year.
Diane Whalen, from St. Joseph’s in Eldersburg, Maryland, reflected on the pope’s frequent calls for mercy and solidarity.
“He was compassionate,” she said, “especially in how he treated the poor, the immigrant, the prisoners, and mothers.”
She recalled a memory from one of Pope Francis’s U.S. visits, when she attended a papal event with her daughter.
“What stuck with me most was how often he said, ‘Pray for me.’ That humility was always so beautiful.”
Fellow parishioner Cathy Whittaker agreed.
“He just loved being with people,” she said. “He loved being out and about – as we saw again yesterday on Easter Sunday when he came out in the popemobile to greet everyone.”
Whittaker said she felt hopeful about the future of the Church.
“I believe the Church will elect the pope we need now,” she said.
Kathleen Bashian, a parishioner at Holy Trinity in Georgetown, noted Pope Francis’s impact on the Church’s sense of unity across cultures.
“He brought the view that the Church is more universal,” she said. “Especially when it comes to inclusivity… It’s very beautiful. It’s informational. We can all learn from each other.”
