St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
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(Gallery by Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com)
Sometimes, people think the Catholic Church is not relevant, the Rev. Neil Sullivan reminded parishioners at St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church, but the eyes of the world on Wednesday’s selection of a new pope showed that “the church is important. The church is relevant.”
“We have a responsibility, as people look at us, to be good witnesses,” he said at a regular Wednesday night Mass in the Swatara Township church that closed with worshippers singing “Long Live the Pope” as the recessional. “It’s a sign of hope.”
Midstate Catholics said they don't know much about the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, but they seemed impressed by his humility and his potential to turn attention to the world’s poor.
At St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, in Harrisburg’s Allison Hill neighborhood, the pastor and vicar had two reasons to be ecstatic. Two-thirds of their congregation is Latino, creating a cultural tie that never existed with previous popes, and Bergoglio was the first pope to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi, known for his devotion to the poor.
The pope is “not just for Italians,” said the Rev. John Bednarik, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. “He’s for the whole world.”
“It’s a recognition of the fact that Spanish-speaking Catholics have something to contribute to the church,” Bednarik said. “They’re very much a part of the church, just like when John Paul II was selected. For the Polish, that was a tremendous tribute to them.”
The name of Francis projects “humility and poverty and a strong attention to the person of Christ, of service,” Bednarik said.
“From the very beginning, Christ told him to ‘rebuild my church where you see it is falling apart,’ ” he said. “After 800 years, Francis is still popular and still well-known and perhaps the most like Christ in all of history.”
The St. Francis vicar is the Rev. Orlando Reyes, a native of El Salvador who was ordained last June. The selection brings hope to his Latino parishioners who struggle financially and with citizenship issues, he said.
“Even amid all the struggles, it’s going to bring some hope to them, and for all of us, I do believe,” he said. “It’s just by the grace of God that in these moments of so much difficulty, we have this good news that brings some hope.”
Pope Francis’ evident humility – seeking the blessing of the throng at St. Peter’s Square – struck a chord in midstate members of his flock. St. Catherine Laboure parishioner Clayton Keefer of Lower Swatara Township said he believes the Holy Spirit guided the conclave of cardinals in their selection.
“It’s important to be humble and meek because of the situation in our world today, where we have all these conflicts and everybody seems to be persecuting the church and at war with each other,” Keefer said.
Pope Francis “has a real perspective of what’s going on in the world and a real connection with everyday people,” said Theresa Keefer, Clayton’s wife. “It’s important to be humble in order to reach people and be open to the spirit.”
Rudy Gornik of Swatara Township believes that Pope Francis can halt inroads that other denominations have made in drawing South Americans away from the Catholic Church.
“The church was kind of stale at one time, and these new denominations showed more vibrance,” he said. “I think this is the spark that’s going to light the flame.”
At St. Catherine, 100-year-old Monsignor Vincent Topper has lived through 10 popes. He was disappointed, he joked, that he didn’t get the call to serve as Bishop of Rome. He hopes the new pope will instill “mercy, love and kindness” in the world.
“It’s not in my hands. It’s in God’s hands,” he said. “He’s going to give us what we need.”
In the basement of St. Francis, church member Tim Morton of Harrisburg was setting up tables to prepare for the social after the night’s Mass honoring a visiting priest. The name Francis denotes “taking care of the poor, the poorest of the poor, the people that are overlooked.”
The Air Force veteran has served in the world’s hotspots and holy lands, and he said that Bergoglio’s selection shows that the Vatican, just like the rest of the world, can undergo changes.
“It doesn’t change the beliefs," Morton said. "As long as the beliefs remain the same, it shouldn’t matter where a pope is from. The movement and what they stand for should still be the same.”