Letter from the Director
April 21, 2025
Dear Friends of Mary Help,
We awoke this morning to the sad but not terribly unexpected news that Pope Francis finished his earthly journey early this morning and returned home to the Father. It is appropriate that the Pope’s life ended on Easter Monday – right at the beginning of the Easter Octave. The feast of Easter and the rising of Jesus from the dead, is always inspires HOPE – that the promises that God has made to us through the centuries have been fulfilled. Pope Francis, who always proclaimed hope and mercy, entered the fulness of God’s Kingdom during this season of hope and mercy.
Many things will be said about Pope Francis’ years as Pope and Bishop of Rome – some are agreeable and others have lesser views of him. This is not the place to debate or even list his achievements or his shortcomings.
However, there is a fact about Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis), that may not be known to most of you. Jorge Bergoglio is an alumnus of a Salesian school. The Pope’s parents were very friendly with a Salesian priest over the years. When his mother was bedridden after a difficult pregnancy, young Jorge was placed in a Salesian boarding school near Buenos Aires when he was 12 years old. He only remained as a student for one year, but his experience there had a great impact on him. A Salesian was also his spiritual director and assisted him as he was discerning his vocation. In 1990, he wrote a great description of Salesian education, based on his year’s experience. It is one of the finest presentations on Salesian education that I have ever read. One of his great lines in this description was, “I learned, almost unconsciously, to seek the meaning of things.”
Don Bosco taught us to have a filial dedication to the Holy Father. While we reflect on the memory of Pope Francis, and pray that he may be at peace with the Eternal Father, let us pray for the Church, that the Spirit will inspire the Cardinals to elect the best person to lead the Church forward in these challenging times.
A blessed Easter to all.
Mary Help of Christians, pray for us!
Fr. John J. Serio SDB
Director