Mater Dei High School Students
Editor’s note: Upper grade level students at Mater Dei High School in Evansville wrote essays about Pope Francis’ recent visit to the United States. Here are some excerpts.
• Pope Francis has renewed my faith in the way he talked about the importance of life and family. The pope mentioned the significance of family and the importance of life as the essential building blocks of this United States. As the pope talked about this, I thought of my wonderful family I have been blessed with. Ashley Kissel
• Although his entire speech [to Congress] made many significant points, the importance of family stood out to me the most . . . . We are all part of a family, whether it’s the people we are related to, which is what the pope was referring to, or even the people who understand and care about us the most in our lives. Mackenzie Douglas
• Pope Francis has strengthened my faith by reminding me that my religion is not just about going to church on Sunday, but about helping my brothers and sisters around the world with God’s help. Understanding the spiritual elements of Catholicism is very important, but the purpose of our faith is to let it control our actions. Pope Francis showed that religion and the issues of this world can not be separated, bringing up climate change, immigration and proverty. He is trying to get us to understand that we cannot turn a blind eye to the problems of the world and retreat to our own little world if we want to fulfill Catholicism’s mission. Karson Hartz
• Pope Francis renewed my faith on one particular topic: the death penalty. I used to be a supporter, but over the past few months, my views have slowly evolved . . . . Pope Francis said it best: “every life is sacred [and] every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity. Kyle Cutrell
• Pope Francis has renewed my faith by teaching me how I can use my Christian values in real life by being more welcoming to immigrants because that is what Jesus would do. The main way he has changed my faith is by informing us that the only way this country can be great is if we let God lead this country. Devan Straub
• The idea that stood out the most to me was his topic on immigration. As the daughter of an immigrant, I can personally relate to the pope’s stance on this issue. Pope Francis made a strong argument by bringing to attention the fact that the majority of Americans descended from immigrants. I agree with Francis when he stated that we must not be fearful of immigrants because they yearn for freedom also. No current citizen would be pleased if America had denied their ancestors access to the land of opportunities; therefore, we must do as the pope said and follow the golden rule. Alexus Rhodes
• Although he never directly said the word “abortion,” his mention of the Golden Rule paired with “protecting human life at every stage of development” made me view abortion in a way I hadn’t heard before. Pope Francis wants us to treat each other how we want to be treated, which is something my mother used to tell me and my sisters very often, so hearing this in connection to abortion reminded me that all life is sacred and valuable. Susan Ellert
• Pope Francis renewed my faith by encouraging me to learn more about not only my family life but marriage too. Pope Francis also encourages me to prepare for the future when I get married. It is very important to remember to love and respect others because we all go through bad times in our lives and we always need people in our lives to pick us back up. Kyle Embry
The Message will publish more excerpts next week.
