Mourning Pope Francis

Of all the Popes since I became aware of my memory, Pope Francis is the Pope to whom I had the strongest emotional attachment.  His soft-spoken first words from the balcony, his choice of the name "Francis," his membership in the Society of Jesus and most importantly his attention to the social teachings of Jesus served to give him one of the remaining soft spots in my heart.  And then there was his endearing demeanor and the way he responded to critics and detractors.

While I had always hoped to encounter him face to face, it never happened even though I sang alto as part of the Archdiocese of New York Festival Chorale when he said Mass in Madison Square Garden on September 24, 2015.  The choir and orchestra were seated in a pit, behind and below his chair.  My fellow chorister, Mike Sweeney, managed to procure the Pope's half-full water glass from the table next to the chair.  After passing the glass to share the contents, Mike brought the glass home where it is now kept behind glass as a potential relic.

Here is video in which the camera sweeps over the sopranos (why do those divas always get the attention?!) as we perform the Agnus Dei (Cordero de Dios) from a Missa Breve composed by Monsignor Abel di Marco.