The Sisters of the Congregatio Jesu are in mourning for Pope Francis. “With the death of Pope Francis, the Church has lost a credible leader, a deeply devout fellow Christian and an inspiring figure for all those who want to follow Jesus”, says General Superior Sr Veronica Fuhrmann CJ.
The Mary Ward sisters of both branches of their Institute – Congregatio Jesu and IBVM – have not only lost their Pope, but also a committed supporter of Mary Ward’s cause and the mission of her sisters. The first contacts between the Jesuit Jorge Bergoglio and the Sisters of the Congregatio Jesu took place early on. Hungarian sisters had set up a mission in Argentina during the socialist era and were committed to educating girls, passing on the faith and providing spiritual support during spiritual exercises.
Pope Francis got to know and appreciate them. During a visit to Hungary in 2023, he recalled: “I cannot forget the courageous and patient witness of the Hungarian sisters of the ‘English Misses’ (that’s what the sisters have been called because of the homeland of their foundress) whom I met in Argentina after they had left Hungary during the persecution. They were witnesses, wonderful women! They did so much good with their testimony.”
Pope Francis also praised the Mary Ward Sisters at the 2021 World Eucharistic Congress: “I learnt a lot from their bravery, their courage, their patience and their love for their homeland; they were a testimony for me.”
Some of the Argentinian sisters came together with Pope Francis, when he was Rector of the Theological Faculty of San Miguel from 1980 to 1986. Some of them worked with Jorge Bergoglio during his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, while others were able to get to know and appreciate him as a spiritual director during his time as Provincial of the Argentinian Province of the Jesuits.
During his term of office as Pope since 2013, Francis has repeatedly met with members of the Congregatio Jesu and the IBVM – whether in Rome or during his trips abroad, for example to Slovakia, Canada, South Korea or most recently to South Sudan.
At a meeting with Superior General Veronica Fuhrmann and Vicar General Estela Clara Grignola in St Peter’s Square last year, he gave them and their fellow sisters a piece of advice that was close to his heart: “Keep a sense of humour in your congregation.”
That is what we will do. And we will honour Pope Francis’ memory and pray for his soul. May he rest in peace and may the eternal light shine upon him.
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Some of our sisters who have got to know Pope Francis, have shared their experiences and memories with us. You can find them here: https://archive.congregatiojesu.org/tag/RIP/
