Humble New Pope Raises Profile of Nearby Jesuit Retreat Center

Beyond the surprise of Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit, named as new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, his humbleness is likely what moved people most.

On Wednesday, the Vatican named Pope Francis to succeed Pope Benedict XV. After he offered his blessing to the world, Pope Francis asked the crowd to pray for him during a moment of silence.

“He said, ‘I’m supposed to give you a blessing but you pray for me,’ “ said an excited Maria Cressler, executive director of Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center, in Sandy Springs. “Silence is what Ignatius taught us. Where I was watching TV, we were all in silence. It’s in the silence that we are all unified.”

Pope Francis has instantly raised the Retreat Center’s profile in metro Atlanta. “A lot of people [usually wonder] what’s a Jesuit. Even some Catholics are not familiar with all the different orders,” said Cressler.

The new pope is great marketing. "We are trying to grow the Jesuit footprint in Atlanta. We have a lot of joy," Cressler added.

A Cristo Rey Jesuit High School is in the works for Southwest Atlanta in 2014.

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Considering only 19 of the 115 cardinals, who select the new Pope are from Latin American countries, Monsignor James Fennessey at St. Jude’s Catholic Church on Glenridge Drive said he was pleasantly surprised by their choice.

“One of the things that certainly has been known is that the Catholic church in African and Latin American countries is where the largest number of  Catholics are right now,” he said.

Like Cressler, Monsignor Fennessey was struck by Pope Francis’ way with the crowd during his address.

It was the first time the Monsignor recalled a pope saying the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father prayers during his first address to the public. 

“It said to me, I suppose, that he wanted to connect with people, and it would be the most humble people,” Fennessey said. “The most humble Catholics would know those prayers. Especially the Lord’s Prayer would be something that would be known by all Christians.”

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was created a cardinal by John Paul II in 2001. As the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio traveled by bus and lived a humble life in an apartment.

Cressler said, “The humility and humbleness of this particular man, choosing not to live in a mansion, kind of living in solidarity with the poor and the people, speaks volumes…”