Judge students appreciate pope's message of inclusivity

Friday, Oct. 02, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — At Judge Memorial Catholic High School, theology teacher and campus minster Michele Gelaude saw Pope Francis’ visit to the United States as a reflection of “the living Church in our world,” she said, and used the opportunity to have her students view videos of the presidential welcome, the pontiff’s speech to Congress and his visit with Catholic Charities clients in Washington, D.C.

President Barack Obama’s introduction of Pope Francis “was really a beautiful testimony to our Church – talking about Catholicism in the United States,” and the Holy Father’s visit to Catholic Charities was “a beautiful commentary about the pope and how he goes to the margins” and models service to the poor, Gelaude said. 

Her students saw those lessons, but also took away much more from Pope Francis’ Sept. 22-27 visit to Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia.

“I really like that he’s such an inclusive pope,” said Kepler Sticka-Jones, a Judge Memorial senior who is a peer minister. “That’s such a focus to him, that he wants to include everyone and bring them in and make them feel welcomed, maybe not necessarily in the Church but in the greater world community. I think that’s something that we should definitely focus on, regardless of religion or sexuality or any other factor – we should be including everyone and making them feel welcomed and loved.” 

Freshman Kianna Chacon agreed. “He’s trying to connect everybody as a whole,” she said. “I like how loving he is and how open he is to different religions, and how he’s going around blessing people, shaking everybody’s hands, putting a smile on their face even if they weren’t Catholic.” 

Pope Francis’ message of social justice is particularly relevant to the work of JMCHS’ peer ministers, said Emily DeCarolls, also a senior. “I think that as a peer minister, I can take his message of mercy and taking the Church teachings and spreading them throughout and giving that joy of the Church. I think that we can use that as peer ministers in retreats and small groups and just everyday life with our underclassmen,” especially because Judge’s students come from a variety of religious backgrounds, she said.

DeCarolls especially liked Pope Francis’ homily at the Mass that closed the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, in which he spoke of the importance of making little gestures of tenderness, affection and compassion that make people feel at home.

Jesus “asks us to go through life, our everyday life, encouraging all these little signs of love as signs of his own living and active presence in our world,” Pope Francis said during his homily in Philadelphia.

For DeCarolls, that “is a really good message,” she said. ”I just think that message was just so profound.” The pope’s visit had a personal effect on Sticka-Jones. “I feel more hopeful about the world because of it – seeing that there’s this great, loving force in the world who just wants to be with everyone. It’s so hopeful,” he said, adding that he found the pope’s visit exciting. “This pope – he likes to go out into the world and just be with people, be human, and be such a loving and powerful force. … It’s exciting seeing this broad impact he’s having on everyone, regardless of religious affiliation.”