It is with deep sorrow that the St Mary’s University community joins the global Catholic family in mourning the death of His Holiness, Pope Francis.
As a Catholic University, we have been inspired by Pope Francis’s leadership, humility, and dedication to the promotion of the “joy of the Gospel” in the hearts of the faithful. His Papacy coincided with St Mary’s becoming a full university and his commitment to education, care for the marginalised, and call to protect our common home have resonated deeply with our mission and values and provided inspiration to staff and students through their academic journeys.
In recent years, many members of the University community have had the chance to meet Pope Francis. In 2023 a delegation from the Bakhita Centre at St Mary’s met him to mark Anti-Slavery day, presenting the Holy Father with artwork created by residents of Caritas Bakhita House, London, a safe house for women who have been trafficked, enslaved, and exploited. The artwork was used as the cover of the book Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking: the Victim Journey, edited by Carole Murphy and Runa Lazzarino, a copy of which was also presented to Pope Francis.
In 2024, students and staff from St Mary’s embarked on a Lenten pilgrimage to Rome. During the visit, the group attended Pope Francis’s weekly Catechesis during which the Holy Father extended his greetings and blessings to the members of staff and students at St Mary's. Staff members have twice been able to attend audiences with Pope Francis as part of a delegation of international academics working to promote service-learning within Catholic universities.
Pope Francis’s impact can be felt more broadly through activity taking place across the University. His second encyclical Laudato Si’, inspired the formation of our research project Guardians of Creation, run in partnership with the Diocese of Salford.
This project is an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research programme investigating the technical, sociological, organisational and theological paths to sustainable and ecologically sensitive change in the Catholic Church. The project offers guidance on many aspects of how faith-based organisations can respond to the ecological crisis and has a special focus on Catholic diocesan decarbonisation.
May we honour his legacy by continuing to serve others with faith and compassion. In the Global Compact on Education, Pope Francis wrote that educating our students should involve: “bending over those in need and stretching out a hand to them, without calculation, without fear, but with tenderness and understanding, just as Jesus knelt to wash the Apostles’ feet. Serving means working beside the neediest of people, establishing with them first and foremost human relationships of closeness and bonds of solidarity.”
This resonates deeply with St Mary’s mission and history.
In this time of mourning, we offer our prayers for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis and extend our condolences to all those closest to him.
The Chaplaincy will celebrate Mass in Memorial of Pope Francis in the Chapel on Friday 25th April at 1.05pm. The Chaplaincy Team are available to provide support at this time of loss and mourning, and I encourage anyone affected by this news to seek support as follows:
Tel: 020 8240 4002
You can also access free and confidential support 24/7 from the University support programmes for students and staff.
May he rest in peace,
Professor Anthony McClaran
Vice-Chancellor
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