Show-Me State Times

In 2022, faculty members from Saint Louis University (SLU), including John James and Maureen Wangard, had the unique opportunity to attend the World Union of Catholic Teachers (WUCT) conference in Rome. This event featured an audience with Pope Francis. The WUCT, established in 1951, serves as a global network for Catholic teachers. SLU was the only U.S. Catholic university participating in this international organization.

The conference's highlight was an address by Pope Francis, who referred to Catholic educators as “co-workers of the pope,” urging them to recognize their significant mission in teaching and promoting faith.

Reflecting on Pope Francis' passing, James noted, “Many have commented on the theological bent and Jesuit approach apparent in his encyclicals and apostolic exhortations. Others such as Chris Lowney have addressed the Jesuit style and substance of how Pope Francis led. What I don’t see mentioned... is how Ignatian has been the arc of his papacy in terms of strategy.”

James elaborated on Pope Francis' educational initiatives, including The Global Compact on Education, which aimed to foster a universal educational alliance. He stated that this initiative symbolizes the “unfinished business” of the Pope’s papacy.

Wangard described meeting Pope Francis as life-changing. “It reminded me that I'm a part of something much bigger than myself or my work with graduate students at Saint Louis University,” she said.

In September 2022, Jason Eberl, another SLU faculty member, met Pope Francis at the Eleventh International Thomistic Congress. Eberl remarked, “Pope Francis, as I told him, has been a gift to the Church and to the world.”

The Center for Health Care Ethics at SLU boasts three faculty members who met Pope Francis, including Jeffrey Bishop. Reflecting on his meeting with the Pope, Bishop stated, “I remember standing there on the front row opposite where Pope Francis entered the room... As I watched him walk up to his seat to give his remarks, tears welled up in my eyes.”

In 2022, SLU students Quique Riojas and Amy Cook participated in a virtual dialogue with Pope Francis hosted by Loyola University Chicago as part of the Synod of Bishops consultation process. Cook, who later joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, called the experience “surreal.”

SLU continues to remember and reflect on the impact of Pope Francis' papacy and his influence on Catholic education worldwide.