God’s Gift: Meeting the Pope

By Jean Fedigan, Founder and Chief Mission Office of Sister Jose Women’s Center 

Photo courtesy of Vatican Media

Jesus said to Peter: “Peter, do you love me?”, and Peter answered “Yes, Lord, you know I do”. Three times Jesus asks the question and three times Peter answers, and three times Jesus responds to Peter’s response by saying then “feed my sheep”. Jesus is asking Peter to follow Him, as a friend, a Disciple, and as head of the Church. As the gospel rolls forward, each Pope who ascended the chair of Peter was asked to teach, love, and feed the people of God, not only with words and service, but also with great love because God is love. Pope Francis now sits in Peter’s chair and has clearly taken on the mission of Jesus. 

Over the years, God has taught me and worked through me to reach out to others. I founded Sister Jose Women’s Center 15 years ago to live the gospel and mission of our Lord more fully. Each year, God’s love is evident at the Center to all who enter.  

When the Catholic Extension Lumen Christi award and the Catholic Foundation awards were given to me a year ago, my purpose and faith became clearer. It is difficult to explain how much the awards changed my life. They acknowledged our work to expand faith and love of God to all.  

When Catholic Extension invited me to Rome to meet the Pope, I was excited and I found myself trying to imagine what it would be like to have the Pope and, through him, the Church, acknowledge the work of Sister Jose Women’s Center. I was humbled and blessed by the incredible faith and grace of spirit of the six women who were also to be acknowledged by the Pope. What an extraordinary group; I learned so much about their work for the Lord and loved engaging and listening to each person. To be in the presence of such holy people was truly a gift.  

The morning came to have the private audience with the Pope and, on the way to the Vatican, I kept praying that the spirit and love of the homeless women and all my co-workers were with me. The room was filled with expectation, joy, and Spirit as we all awaited the arrival of Pope Francis. The room erupted with joy, singing, and laughter. Forty Latin American nuns captivated me with their cries of “Papa” and joyful singing. The beauty of their love of the Lord was simple and palpable as so many gospel images flowed through my mind, like Jesus saying, “Let the children come to me.” We were all children standing together in love and faith. 

I saw a man filled with gentleness and the grace of God. He read his statement of welcome and appreciation for our service to others, joining with us to spread the love of the Lord through action. Suddenly, all the years of wishing the Pope knew what we were doing in service at Sister Jose’s became reality. His inspiring words filled my heart. “In striving to build up the Body of Christ, the Church (cf. Eph 4:12) by giving voice to those who are frequently voiceless, you bear witness to the God-given dignity of every person.” “God’s style is never distant, detached, or indifferent. Instead, it is one of closeness, compassion, and tender love. It is my hope that your service will always reflect these qualities, showing that God draws near to our lives, that He is moved to compassion for those in difficult situations and that His love calls us to be in relationship with Him and to see our neighbor as truly a brother or sister. … God’s loving mercy becomes visible and the fabric of society is strengthened and renewed.” 

Then it was my turn to lean down and take his hand and hear my name and Sister Jose Women’s Center acknowledged. His hand was warm and firm; the nod and smile and the rush of Spirit of all we serve was present and I knew that God was present in that moment and touch. Such a calm and pure feeling!!!  

Our Lord reminds us that whenever two or three of us are gathered, He is with us. I knew Jesus was there, laughing with joy with all of us, and with Pope Francis, His Peter, who is feeding his sheep.