These Mass. people say they’re lucky to have seen Pope Francis - The Boston Globe (2025)

Tuthill’s family got to the Mass early, snagging seats in the last row of chairs set up in St. Peter’s Square. She and her family were surrounded by worshippers from around the world, and Tuthill could hear different languages spoken during Mass, including Spanish and Latin, she said.

When he became pope in 2013, Francis was the first-ever chosen from Latin America and the Jesuit order of priests.

The 88-year-old pontiff missed most Lenten and Holy Week services as he recovered from a prolonged bout of respiratory illness.

But on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis appeared from behind a red curtain on a balcony overlooking the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Everyone erupted in cheers and some shouted “Papa Francisco,” Tuthill said.

When the Pope said “Happy Easter” in a “weak and frail voice,” Tuthill said, she felt like she was watching a part of history.

“I knew he wasn’t going to be alive much longer, which is why we went to Rome this year,” Tuthill said.

Tuthill, 54, said she felt inspired seeing how the ailing pope greeted thousands and rode around the square in his Popemobile.

“What I’m most struck with is he was serving others until the moment he died,” said Tuthill.

The Tuthills were vacationing in Europe to visit their daughter, a college student who is studying in Barcelona. When the leader of Catholic Charities Boston, which focuses on reducing poverty, realized her trip coincided with Easter, she decided they had to make a stop in Rome.

“He’s been such a strong voice for those we serve, and there’s not a lot of really strong voices right now with that message of kindness, especially for refugees and migrants,” Tuthill said.

Pope Francis has drawn tens of thousands of people to the Vatican, where he is lying in state. His funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday in St. Peter’s Square.

The pope’s death has prompted others to recall their own fond memories of meeting him at the Vatican.

Danielle and Vin Bartucca got to meet the Pope in 2022, when he blessed their marriage on their honeymoon in Italy.

A travel agent told them they could register for Pope Francis’ ‘Sposi Novelli,’ a Vatican ceremony for newlyweds. The couple jumped at the opportunity to participate in the ritual, in which they provided their wedding certificate, dressed in wedding attire. They sat for a papal audience alongside dozens of other newlyweds before meeting Pope Francis, Danielle Bartucca said.

When the newlyweds got to the front of the line, they said Pope Francis shook their hands and blessed their rosary beads.

“We said we’re never going to wash our hands after touching the Pope,” Danielle said, with a laugh.

Danielle thanked Pope Francis, in English, for his blessing, and Vin, speaking Italian, said, “it’s an honor to meet you.” They said Pope Francis’ humility and kindness were apparent during their brief interaction, and that the papal leader seemed to beam with brightness.

“You see him and it’s almost like you’re seeing a light, you’re in such awe of him,” Danielle, 32, said.

Pope Francis’ famous comments demonstrating his tolerance for LGBTQ people had an enormous impact on her Catholic faith, said Danielle, who added she and her husband have always had LGBTQ loved ones.

“He’s made the Catholic Church more accepting of people as a whole, and that’s how we feel as a family,” she said, explaining she’ll raise her young daughter Eva with Pope Francis’ values in mind.

The four-month-old shares her birthday, Dec. 17, with the late Pope, Vin said, and they named her Eva after Eve, the first woman God created, according to the Bible.

Vin, 37, also said he and his family will always be inspired by Pope Francis’ message of acceptance for all.

“You don’t have to follow every single rule of the Church, as long as you’re kind to everybody, you’re basically following in God’s footsteps,” Vin said.

Vin, who grew up in Norwood, and Danielle, who was raised in Yarmouth Port, married in Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross after meeting at Bar Boulud in Back Bay, they said. They’ve been living in Jacksonville, Fla., for Danielle’s medical school training, and they’ll return to New England in June, when Danielle starts a medical residency at Brown University in Providence.

More recently, Baltazar Etcheverry was among a group of students from St. Paul’s Choir School which traveled to Rome in April 2023, and got to spend a day with Pope Francis. The late Pope greeted every student individually and held Baltazar’s face in his hand. The choir performance was organized by Juan Cruz Villalon, an Argentine priest who was friends with both Pope Francis and the Etcheverry family.

Baltazar, who goes by “Balty,” said meeting Pope Francis strengthened his Christian faith and inspired him to be kind to people of all faiths and beliefs. Balty’s parents, Martin and Asuncion, are from Argentina, and their son personally brought the country’s popular alfajores cookies as a gift for Pope Francis.

When Balty, 12, learned Monday Pope Francis had died, he was shocked.

“It hit me that we just lost a leader, a big light, and it impacted a lot of people,” Balty said.

During their April 2023 visit, Balty and other treble choir singers got to ride in the Popemobile through St. Peter’s Square, and everyone, including many non-Christians who attend the music school, were moved by Pope Francis’ kindness, Balty said.

While riding, Pope Francis stopped to kiss every baby in St. Peter’s Square and gave everyone personalized attention, Balty said.

“It will continue to influence me as long as I live, and it’s a reminder to be like him, to be humble and treat others how they want to be treated,” Balty said.

Claire Thornton can be reached at claire.thornton@globe.com. Follow Claire on X @claire_thornto.