A year ago, on April 20th, Siena College President Chuck Seifert, along with friars and members of the private college’s board of trustees, had the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis during a college pilgrimage to Italy.
WAMC’s Lucas Willard spoke with Seifert this morning about his trip and the pope’s impact on the Franciscan college in Loudonville…
Brother Michael works at Siena College. And Brother Michael was actually the Minister General for the Franciscan Order, which means that he literally was the 120th successor to St Francis. And he worked directly in Rome and worked directly with Pope Francis. So, through his contacts, we were able to have the personal audience with the Pope.
And were you able to communicate with the Pope during that visit, and what did you want to say to him?
Yeah, great question. So, our personal audience with Pope Francis was easily one of the highlights of my life, and I believe, highlight of all of the participants’. He greeted each member of our delegation with a handshake and a smile, and he also asked that we pray for him. So that was both moving and humbling. And after he greeted all of the different members, we spoke to him about our efforts with our Laudato Si Center for Integral Ecology at Siena College, and that is closely related to his encyclical Laudato Si, which is looking at, you know, maintaining the environment and preserving our planet.
And I wanted to ask about Pope Francis' impact and message and the effects on possible teachings or programs at Siena College. And I think you just alluded to that. Could you tell me a little bit more about what the Pope would say and what the Pope wanted to focus on during his time, and how that had an impact on the college?
Sure, absolutely. Thank you. So, we did present information to the Pope and provided him some copies of literature regarding our Laudato Si Center for Integral Ecology, and he actually blessed our efforts and actually encouraged us to continue forward with our efforts, making sure that we can do what we can to bring his encyclical to life. We have had symposiums on campus, we have programs on campus, and we have different centers, both academic and programmatic, that help support his efforts.
And personally, do you think that Pope Francis's presence and his personality had an impact on students and faculty and staff at Siena?
Absolutely. So, that Siena had a special connection with Pope Francis. He was the first pope in history to take the name St. Francis of Assisi, and it was the Franciscans who founded Siena College, and our mission and their values still inform everything that we do on campus. Also, when we did have our symposium last year, the Pope wrote a personal letter supporting our efforts, and that was read to the community, and obviously had a large impact on all members of our community.
And will Siena College be recognizing and honoring the Pope in any way today?
Yeah, we're working on that right now. We're trying to bring everybody together and figure out a way that we can best honor and recognize the life and legacy of Pope Francis.
President Seifert, do you have any message that you're sharing with the campus community today?
Yes. As we navigate the challenges of the modern world, the principles of peace, respect and service to the greater good that were so embraced by Pope Francis will still continue to guide our path forward.
Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.
Thank you.
