SAN DIEGO — “Pope Francis inspired me to be a better follower of Christ. He reminded me that God is ever merciful, and that we could always run back to the Father, as he never tires of forgiving us,” said Carlos Salazar, 34, a member of St. John of the Cross Parish in Lemon Grove.
“He stood as a humble servant of the Church who led with great humility,” said Bishop Michael Pham, diocesan administrator of San Diego.
The pontificate of Pope Francis deeply moved local Catholics and had a profound impact on the Diocese of San Diego.
“He asked us to listen and dialogue with each other to act for the common good,” Bishop Pham said. “As our Church continues to journey home, we remember the groundwork that Pope Francis had laid before us.”
It was Pope Francis, about two years into his pontificate, who appointed then Bishop Robert W. McElroy as the sixth bishop of San Diego in 2015 and, seven years later, elevated him to the College of Cardinals.
Under Cardinal McElroy’s leadership, the San Diego Diocese became a place where the late pontiff’s pastoral priorities, including immigration, environmental stewardship and synodality, were championed.
“I would say Pope Francis should be known as the pope of the migrants and refugees who called to build bridges and not walls,” said Scalabrinian Father Patrick Murphy, director of Casa del Migrante in Tijuana.
Inspired by “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical subtitled “On Care for Our Common Home,” the San Diego Diocese launched in 2018 a Creation Care Ministry headed by a retired priest, Father Emmet Farrell, and a team of volunteers.
Since then, solar power systems have been installed at the diocese’s Pastoral Center and more than half of its 96 parishes, and many have Creation Care teams.
In 2022, Christina Bagaglio Slentz was hired to oversee Creation Care Ministry at the diocesan level, becoming one of the first diocesan staffers nationwide to engage in such work full-time.
“Without Pope Francis, I would certainly not be who I am today,” said Slentz. “This is not simply a function of the job I do, but rather about finding my vocation.”
“It is the greatest honor of my life to do this work,” she said, “to find my small niche in contributing toward the fulfillment of God’s plan for us.”
When Pope Francis convened synods on the family in 2014 and 2015, on young people in 2018, and on the concept of synodality itself from 2021 to 2024, Cardinal McElroy responded to each of these global initiatives by holding diocesan-level synods in San Diego.
From the diocesan synod on the family emerged the diocesan Office for Family Life and Spirituality, which replaced the former Office for Marriage and Family Life and broadened its mission with a greater focus on the challenges faced by contemporary families.
“Our diocese is steeped in synodality thanks to Pope Francis and Cardinal McElroy,” said Janelle Peregoy, who oversees a new ministry ushered in by that synod, serving separated and divorced faithful.
“Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, ‘The Joy of Love’ (‘Amoris Laetitia’), is essentially our office’s guiding document on how to offer pastoral care to all families,” she said. “It is not an exaggeration to say that I would not be doing the work I do throughout the diocese without the influence of Pope Francis.”
Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages, released a statement sharing his “great sorrow” upon waking April 21 to the news of the pope’s death.
“Pope Francis will forever be remembered for his humility and for his deep compassion, especially for our most vulnerable neighbors across the world,” he said. “We celebrate his lifetime of service to the Lord and to all of humanity.
“Let us all live by his example,” he said, “in serving our neighbors without judgment and always with the deepest love.”
Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano said he was relieved that the pope had died at his home, rather than at the hospital, after delivering his Easter blessing to the throngs at St. Peter’s Square.
“He even rode around in the popemobile to be close to the People of God,” he said. “What a beautiful gift.”
The bishop said that the pope inspired him with his humility and material poverty.
“He taught me and challenged me to live the radical love of Jesus, who never rejected or judged anyone, but loved everyone without preference or condition,” the bishop said.
“He was a loud voice for peace and justice, but above all, for mercy,” he concluded.
Teresa Pérez, an organizer with the San Diego Organizing Project, said that Pope Francis, “with his humility, taught me to be humble and, at the same time, to be brave as I work together with brothers and sisters in Christ to make changes so that everyone’s dignity is respected and everyone feels a sense of belonging.”
For Stephen Williams, 29, director of catechetical ministry at Sacred Heart Parish in Ocean Beach, the late pontiff “gave a voice in the Church to those who have been cast out of society.”
“He made the ‘invisible’ of the Church not only seen, but loved. … I will forever be in awe of his leadership of the Church,” Williams said.
“Pope Francis was our father, who cared and loved all of God’s people and creation,” echoed Athena Besa, a member of the Diocesan Pastoral Council and president of the Diocesan Commission for Filipino Catholics.
She specifically expressed gratitude for the Synod on Synodality, describing it as “the blueprint he left us, so that we can continue his vision of listening and caring for all people, especially the marginalized, the poor, the hurt and unloved.”
Jesuit Father Scott Santarosa, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Barrio Logan, is a member of the same religious order as Pope Francis, who made history as the first Jesuit elected to the papacy.
“I think many people — of all religious expressions, and even non-religious — found in Pope Francis a credible example of humble, loving service; that he, as Vicar of Christ, was a person who himself lived like Christ,” said Father Santarosa. “That was refreshing and compelling in an era when many leaders seem to be driven by ego or self-interest.”
Some San Diego Catholics had the opportunity to exchange a handshake or conversation with Pope Francis, and they cherish those memories.
Salazar recalled how he and his wife, Monica, attended a general audience in November of 2016, just four days after their wedding, and received the “sposi novelli” blessing for newlyweds.
“The moment was surreal and forever will stay with us,” he said.
Brianah Wong Galvez, 31, and her husband, Kristopher, also received the blessing in late December of 2024.
“In the moment we touched his hand and looked him in the eyes, the pope exuded the warm and welcoming love of Christ,” said Wong Galvez, a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Imperial. “You could feel his desire for everyone to know the heart of Christ through his encounters.”
“We hold this blessing close to our hearts as a grace-filled start to our marriage,” she said.
Father Bradley Easterbrooks, associate pastor of St. Mark’s Parish in San Marcos and secretary of the diocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, describes himself has having been “blessed” to meet the late pope several times and to assist at liturgies with him while living as a seminarian and priest in Rome.
“He always exuded joy and a sense of humor,” Father Easterbrooks said.
“His pastoral emphasis on God the Father’s mercy and compassion helped shape my approach to ministry,” he added.
Father Bernardo Lara, pastor of the Catholic Communities of Brawley and Westmorland, also exchanged words with Pope Francis.
“I had the opportunity to talk to him about eight times, and every encounter was special,” he said. “With those conversations and his books, homilies, speeches and actions, I saw him like a distant grandfather.”
“A few times, (he) gave me advice on prayer, others on general-knowledge topics,” Father Lara continued, “but he always made me laugh. He always found a way to crack a joke in between the conversation.”
Vi Salazar, a leader in the Vietnamese Eucharisticic Youth Movement, said that the pope made a big impact in her life, noting “his love for the youth, not only through words, but his journey with all of us. He was approachable, sincere and willing to meet all of God’s children.”
Through synodality, she added, “Pope Francis has taught us how to listen with our hearts. For the first time ever, I felt that my voice was truly heard at the Universal Church and it brought peace to my heart.”
Seeing the pope wave to her and a group of friends as he was driven down a street in Krakow, Poland, during World Youth Day in late July of 2016, was as physically close as Natalie Ibarra ever got to him.
But the 32-year-old member of St. Patrick Parish in Carlsbad said that Pope Francis has been “a constant inspiration” in her life. She appreciated his 2019 apostolic exhortation “Christus Vivit,” which showed “a renewed passion” for outreach to young adults, and “will forever remember” the image of Pope Francis “walking out to an empty and rainy St. Peter’s Square” and blessing the world during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am blessed that I was able to experience my young adult life and early ministerial years through his papacy,” Ibarra said.
Harrison Trubitt, 31, is a member of St. Gregory the Great Parish in Scripps Ranch and a campus minister at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace. He credits Pope Francis with inspiring him to get more involved at his parish and to get into ministry.
“I wanted to be a Christian like him — humble, joyful, strong, patient, kind; the way that I had come to learn that Jesus was,” Trubitt said.
Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido praised Pope Francis as “a true pastor — a man who deeply loved God and His Church.”
“His pastoral approach to ministry personally inspired me,” he said. “He was a shepherd who listened, journeyed with others, and challenged bishops, priests, the Catholic community, and the entire world with the words of the Gospel.”
“While I feel a deep sadness at the passing of Pope Francis, I am also filled with hope for our Church,” said Bishop Pulido. “People often ask me, ‘Who do you think the next pope will be?’ My honest answer is ‘I don’t know.’ However, what I do know is this: The Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church, and I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit will provide us with a pope who is needed for the Church and the world at this moment in time.”
