Diocesan youth in Rome when Pope Francis died

It was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime and in many ways it has been. For months, the group of 45 teenagers from the Diocese of Tucson had planned to visit the Eternal City and experience the Jubilee of Hope. The weeklong pilgrimage was due to end with the teens and their chaperones witnessing the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint. Upon landing at Leonardo Da Vince airport in Rome, Father Manu Franco, Director of Youth Ministry for the diocese, said the chaperones started looking at their phones and seeing alerts, “They called me over and showed me the social media that showed a picture of the pope and his years of life.” Father Manu said he gathered the group together at baggage claim and told them the sad news, “We made a circle, and we prayed for him right there in the airport.” The Carmelite priest reassured the group that the jubilee would continue, “We found out very soon that the canonization cannot happen because only a pope can do that. It was a little disappointing.”

For the last few days, the trip has continued with trips to Assisi, the Vatican Museum, and other sacred places. Father Manu and his fellow priest Reverend Luis Pablo Ochoa-Escárrega, the Associate Director of Vocations at Immaculate Conception Church in Yuma, celebrated a Mass for Pope Francis inside a chapel under the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Father Manu said the group plans to attend the viewing on Friday and the funeral on Saturday, “It’s going to be interesting. Participating in this ritual and seeing the body of the pope.” The canonization was expected to draw thousands of pilgrims to Rome, “It’s difficult to tell how many people are here for the funeral because so many were already here for the canonization.” The group was navigating the busy streets when the pope’s body was being transported, Father Manu says they missed the procession into Vatican City. He said their tour guide has cautioned that the tour's dynamic will soon change with diplomatic visits and heightened security. 

Nonethless, the students, ranging in age from 15-18, are relishing in the diversity of the moments, “There’s a lot of joy with being here but to be here when the pope died is something else. It’s an experience. They are living the pilgrimage,” he said. An extraordinary time to be in Rome, Father Manu said this visit is historic for the young group from Arizona, “I think more than sadness is just the beauty of looking back at someone who was so great. Pope Francis is the one who organized the jubilee, he’s the one who called people for this. He wanted young people to experience the canonization of Carlo Acutis. He left things arranged for us to continue life.” An unforgettable experience that’ll forever be etched into their memories, “We are having a good time because Pope Francis, the father figure who said, ‘I’ll leave everything arranged for you, I need to go but I’m going to leave everything so you can have this experience. We are grateful for his legacy.”