With heavy hearts, the Sisters of Charity of New York join the Church and the world in mourning the loss of our beloved Pope Francis. His life was a testament to compassion, care for our common home, and unwavering advocacy for those on the margins.

Pope Francis led with humility and love, inspiring countless hearts through his words and actions. His encyclicals challenged us to build a world rooted in justice, mercy, and care for all creation. Laudato Si’ called us to ecological conversion and care for our common home. Fratelli Tutti urged us to embrace a culture of encounter, solidarity, and universal fraternity. Through Lumen Fidei, Evangelii Gaudium, and Amoris Laetitia, he deepened our understanding of faith, joy in the Gospel, and the beauty of love in the family. His own teachings on hope, and the insights offered by his predecessors—such as Pope Benedict XVI in Spe Salvi—remain a guiding light, one we need now more than ever.

As we mourn his passing, we take comfort in the words of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: “Live in faith and hope, though it be in darkness, for in this darkness God lovingly draws you to Himself.” May we honor Pope Francis’s legacy by continuing to walk in faith and hope, serving those in need with love and courage.

We give thanks for his life and legacy and pray that he now enjoys the fullness of God’s presence.

May he rest in eternal peace with our loving God.