In Memoriam: Pope Francis (1936–2025) | Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. As the spiritual leader of the global Catholic Church, his life and ministry deeply influenced millions around the world. At Saint Martin’s University—a Catholic, Benedictine institution—his teachings on compassion, justice and care for creation have been a guiding light for our mission and community values. The community messages below from University President Bill Brownsberger, S.T.D., and Abbot Marion Nguyen, O.S.B., reflect on his legacy and invite our community into a shared moment of remembrance, gratitude, and hope.
Honoring the Legacy of Pope Francis
Dear Saint Martin’s University Community,
It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of Pope Francis. His life and leadership were a testament to the transformative power of faith, service, and compassion, which are at the heart of our Catholic Benedictine tradition.
Pope Francis was an admirable character for many reasons. He was the first pope from the Americas. He was the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere. He was the first pope from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). But I admired Pope Francis for a unique reason: he rode the bus. He rode the bus daily when he was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and he rode the bus back to his hotel the night after his election as pope. He wanted to identify with the people he served. He smelled like his sheep. He reached out to those who felt themselves to be unloved and to those who need to grow in love (all of us). He built bridges to people of other faiths and of no faith at all. He brought in those on the periphery: the marginalized, prisoners, the poor, those ignored and forgotten by society, and those despised because of their social position. Moreover, Pope Francis himself was not always popular. He was not free from misunderstanding, abuse, and vilification. He identified with his sheep even in this.
Pope Francis’s vision for Catholic higher education speaks directly to our mission as a university rooted in the Benedictine tradition. He challenged institutions like ours to be cities set on a hill, giving light to society. He called for justice in society, but he called us to something more than social justice. He required of us that we live justice in the compassion that Christ taught and in the love that God alone gives.
In the days ahead, we will have opportunities to come together as a community to reflect on and honor Pope Francis’s legacy. The Office of Campus Ministry will be holding space for remembrance and a memorial Mass opportunity. Please watch your inboxes for details to come.
If you need support during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Resources are available, and we are here for one another.
Support resources for students: Students may use TimelyCare 24/7 to virtual access services and support. During regular business hours, the Counseling and Wellness Center and the Office of Campus Ministry are available for emotional support and counseling. Some helpful student-specific resources can also be found here and here. You may also submit prayer requests to the monks of St. Martin’s Abbey.
Support resources for faculty and staff: For staff and faculty, the Office of Human Resources is available for emotional support. Staff and faculty seeking a confidential source to speak to about their grief have access to the free Employee Assistant Program (EAP) “EmployeeConnect.” To speak to an EAP counselor, simply call 1-888-628-4824. Apps available through Kaiser include Calm, myStrength and Ginger. Please feel free to contact the Office of Human Resources for more information. In addition, this site offers an efficient way to search for a mental health counselor, allowing you to filter by location, insurance and specialty.
As we reflect on the life of Pope Francis, may we be inspired to continue his work: to seek the truth that challenges us personally, to act with compassion, and to build a future that reflects the best of our shared humanity.
Let us pray for the soul of Pope Francis and commend him to that immense mercy of God which he never tired of preaching.
In deepest sympathy,
Dr. Brownsberger
William Brownsberger, S.T.D.
President
Saint Martin’s University – Office of the President
A: 5000 Abbey Way SE, Old Main 269, Lacey, WA 98503
P: 360-438-4307 | E: president@stmartin.edu | W: www.stmartin.edu
Statement at news of the passing of Pope Francis
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In this sober and solemn moment, as we receive the news of the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, let us turn our hearts toward God with the same spirit of trust and gratitude that our Holy Father Saint Benedict exemplified in his final hour.
As Saint Gregory recounts in the Dialogues, our blessed Father Benedict, having long prepared his soul for the journey home, departed this life standing in prayer, upheld by his brothers, his hands raised to heaven. It was not a moment of despair, but of fulfillment—the culmination of a life wholly surrendered to Christ (Dialogues Book II XXXVIII). Today, as we reflect on the death of our beloved Pope Francis, we too are called to a state of gratitude and trust, knowing that his life of service has now reached its consummation in the presence of the Lord. We too are called to be like the two monks who supported his limbs to accomplish the ultimate Opus Dei—offering his life as a song of praise to God the Father.
To our Benedictine community, entrusted with the living tradition of ora et labora, to pray and to labor, this is a moment to deepen our prayer and commitment to action to the very best of what Pope Francis left as a legacy. Let us give thanks for the gift of Pope Francis’ life and ministry, his witness of humility and mercy, his love for the poor, his call for a listening Church that cares for our common home and his steadfast proclamation of the Gospel. Let our gratitude not be passive but active—expressed in renewed fidelity in both action and structure, strengthening the mission of the Church.
At the passing of Saint Benedict, his brothers saw a path of light stretching from his cell to the heavens, a sign of the divine welcome awaiting him. We, too, must trust that Pope Francis, having labored in the vineyard of the Lord, is now bathed in that same celestial light that awaits those who have labored faithfully to our Lord. His death is not the loss of a leader but the homecoming of a servant. It is not an end but a beginning—an invitation for us to carry forward the spirit of faith, hope, and love that he so beautifully embodied.
May we, as a Benedictine community at Saint Martin’s Abbey and University, within the wider Church, receive this moment not in sorrow, but in profound trust in the mercy of God. May we continue to seek Christ in all things, to serve with joy, and to remain steadfast in the hope of the resurrection.
As we entrust Pope Francis to the loving embrace of the Father, all are invited to join the monks of Saint Martin’s Abbey for a dedicated memorial Mass planned to follow the conclusion of the Easter octave this week. We will share more details soon.
And as our Holy Father Benedict prayed, so we pray:
“Let us prefer nothing whatever to Christ and may He bring us all together to life everlasting!” (RB 72:11-12)
Abbot Marion Nguyen, O.S.B.
Saint Martin’s Abbey and University
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