Dear USD Community,

As a university community, we mourn the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis. His passing is a great loss for the Catholic Church and for the world.

A true steward of our Catholic faith, Pope Francis personified what it meant to be a humble servant of God. He constantly reminded all of us that we must act with compassion toward the poor and those who are most vulnerable in society. His basic message was one of inclusion. In 2013, he wrote, “May the Church be a place of God’s mercy and hope, where all feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live according to the good life of the Gospel.”

On our own campus we have been inspired by his words and his actions. In his 2015 encyclical to the world, “Laudato Si’: On Care of our Common Home,” he reminded us that everything is connected and that we need to take a holistic approach to solving global challenges. This focus, which he described as “integral ecology,” became one of the cornerstones of our strategic planning efforts and was the inspiration for our new mission statement which encourages us all to create “a more inclusive, sustainable and hopeful world.”

Pope Francis never wavered in his pursuit of peace and justice and was courageous in confronting humanity’s greatest challenges. He embodied what we hope every graduate of USD will view as their mission in life; to foster peace, work for justice and lead with love.

We will always be grateful to Pope Francis for his leadership, wisdom, his servant’s heart, his deep compassion and his profound faith. He has truly led with love.

We pray that God grants eternal rest unto His faithful servant, Pope Francis.

May he rest in peace.

Peace,

James T. Harris III, DEd
President