Commemorating the papal visit

Friday, Sep. 18, 2015

DRAPER — “Judge not, lest ye be judged,” said Jesus Christ. 

“Who am I to judge?” said his vicar on earth, Pope Francis.

That saying is prominent on a coffee mug available at Saint Paul’s Place in Juan Diego Catholic High School that commemorates Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the United States.

With the phrase ‘Who am I to Judge?,’ the mugs are a constant remainder of the compassion that the world should have, said Sharon Shelkey, manager at Saint Paul’s Place.

“The reason for this is because the message is about humanity; there is so much compassion in our pope,” said Shelkey, getting a bit emotional.

“We don’t know what people care about any more. … There is so much going on around us. When Pope Francis said this, we immediately thought that we wanted to share his message” of not making judgments about others, said Shelkey.

Now that the Year of Mercy is approaching, the message remains timely. The Year of Mercy, designated by Pope Francis,  opens Dec. 8.

“Jesus’ invitation to mercy is intended to draw us into a deeper imitation of God our Father: be merciful, as your Father is merciful,” Pope Francis said during one of his homilies, but added that “it is not easy to understand this willingness to show mercy, because we are accustomed to presenting the bill to others: You’ve done this, now you have to do this.” In short, the pope said, “We judge, and we fail … to leave space for understanding and mercy.”

Shelkey feels strongly that the pope’s message should be widely shared.

“All my life experiences and struggles have made me the compassionate person that I am today, and when we see the kids at the school, we want them to know that they will get through whatever they are going through,” she said. “This is the importance of sharing the message.”

Pope Francis will arrive in Washington D.C. Sept. 22, after his visit to Cuba.

On Sept. 23 Pope Francis will meet with President Barack Obama at the White House; that same day he will officiate during the Canonization Mass for Junipero Serra at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The next day Pope Francis will address the United Nations General Assembly. He also will participate in a multi-religious service at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum World Trade Center, as well as celebrate an evening Mass at Madison Square Garden.

He then will travel to Philadelphia, where on Sept. 26 he will celebrate the closing Mass for the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

The coffee mugs are available for purchase at the Skaggs Catholic Center. For information, call  801-984-7647.