In the week of Pope Francis' death, when the Archdiocese of Liverpool's Chancery and some staff were on a pilgrimage in Rome, Dan Howarth, third-year seminarian at the Beda College in Rome, shares his expereinces:
There has been something rather poetic about Easter week 2025. The jubilee year; pilgrims in hope.
As my tradition has been, HCPT pilgrimage to Lourdes started on Easter Sunday, where I met up with group 180 from Widnes. This was my first time with this group, not as a nurse but as a chaplain. Seconds before we entered the cachot (St. Bernadette accommodation at the time of the apparition) with me "leading" the walking tour, I got a text with a few missed calls. "The Pope has died" was the first I opened. Shock. Emptiness. Sadness. The holy father, Pope Francis, has been a true inspiration for me. I like to think that every priest, every catholic, looks at the washing of feet by Jesus and thinks, "yes, that's for me". And seeing the different people Pope Francis has had the honour of feet washing allowed me to affirm that my vocation is one of humble service. Despite the heartache of losing an inspiration such as Francis, the week in Lourdes continued. The songs on the way to Mass, the joy that flows through the streets when HCPT are in town, the bright colours and the costumes. We were still filled with Easter joy. The torchlight procession is a weekly highlight as thousands of pilgrims, many of whom have disabilities, raise their lights to heaven with salutations to the mother of God.
The joyful embraces of seeing people whom I hadn't seen in a year at the trust Mass tops off the happiness and wonder in the children's faces as the Eucharist is celebrated. The private miracles of Lourdes were affirmed by the emotions and expressions of love by all present. This could have been written about any HCPT week, but under all of this, for me, were thoughts of the holy father. As an example of the way Christ lived, at many of these HCPT moments, I thought how Francis would have preferred to see me take part with joy rather than to mourn. I found the quiet alone times of lauds and vespers the space to offer thoughts to Francis and then use those thoughts to take part in the fun of, not just HCPT week, but Easter week. I had to remind myself that we are in a week of great joy, liturgically.
Upon return to Rome, college, there was a slight sombre atmosphere on the streets of the Eternal City. I got back at 10 pm on Friday and planned to wake up early and attend the funeral at St Peter's Square. Public transport was difficult to navigate due to road closures, so I decided to walk the 1.5 hours from the Beda College to St Peter's - an espresso bar crawl to combat the fatigue too. The streets were vehicle free mostly, which can be novel for Rome. People raising a smile or a nod of greeting seemed more obvious and can be quite novel for Rome. Getting closer to the funeral route, I noticed something I had seen earlier that week, but different. Groups of pilgrims, neckerchiefs or flag leaders and lanyards around their necks, and all young people.
This weekend coincided with the jubilee for teenagers. Although the canonisation of Carlo Acutis has been postponed, the teenagers from around the world continued to flock to the great pilgrim sites of Rome. And attend the funeral of the longest pope they have known. The sombre streets of Rome started to be filled with joy, and as I noticed more and more groups, I couldn't help but think, it's what Francis may have wanted.
I don't think the jubilee for teenagers or youth is a marketing ploy, hoping to engage this age group and bring faith to them. It's a space for all the young people to live their faith and share with their counterparts. We don't need to do this to bring young people to God, clearly, the youth are already present.
HCPT and the jubilee for teenagers during a time of mourning, during a week of Easter bliss captures the faith perfectly. We are an Easter people. We mourn and we grieve death, but it
doesn't encompass us. We sit in silence on Maundy Thursday, and long for Christ's presence on Good Friday, to then be singing alleluia and Gloria on the Saturday evening. We are shocked and saddened that our holy father passed away, only to then put face paint on and sing worship songs in the streets of the Pyrenees, and the clappy Gloria at Mass. Sorrowfully, we line the streets to say farewell to the pope to get lost in groups of teens in green t-shirts laughing and smiling as the sun shines on them.
We are pilgrims in hope. Our life's journey should be one of service in love - that's what Jesus showed us throughout the Gospels and further shown by the late Pope Francis. Shown by Br Michael Stroude, founder of HCPT. It was shown by bl. Carlo Acutis in his internet evangelisation of the Eucharist. And it is shown by all our young people who desire to live their faith, to bring their corporal works of mercy into the influencing ways of modern life, who through pushing wheelchairs, cutting someone's food for them, holding a hand on the streets, or proudly wearing their diocese t shirt and silently praying at a great saints tomb... the young people have faith, and demonstrate it well. The resurrection of our Lord, the day before Francis died, gives us hope for eternal life with him. The people across the world who love their faith and live it wholeheartedly give us hope for the days and years to come.
Pope Francis was a big proponent of hope. Seeing the actions of charity and the pilgrims in hope certainly draws us back to this ambition. Linked so perfectly with the resurrection a few days ago, Christ's church and his people are grounded in this hope. Grief may stir up hopelessness, but even during that time, we can still experience the fullness of hope.
Dan Howarth
Third year seminarian, Pontifical Beda College, Rome.
