‘It's just a beautiful time': Vatican journalist from Clay County reflects on covering conclave

Yahoo

09-05-2025

Never in a million years did Kielce Gussie think her faith would take her from Middleburg, Florida, all the way to the Vatican.
Reading the first reading at Pope Francis' funeral mass and reporting on the conclave are experiences she said she will never forget, and she feels truly blessed.
Gussie moved to Rome in 2019 and began working for Vatican News in October as a journalist. She covered Pope Francis' papacy and was asked to read at his funeral.
'I didn't know I was going do it until a couple of days before,' Gussie said. 'And it was a big surprise, but it was a huge honor and a huge blessing because for me, Pope Francis was the first pope that I really followed.'
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Gussie was doing commentary for Vatican News when she first saw the white smoke flying out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. She said that as soon as the name of the new Pope was read, she was shocked and excited.
'We turned to each other, and we were like, 'Oh my gosh.' None of us imagined that it would be an American,' Gussie said.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Gussie said she couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity.
'It's just a beautiful time,' Gussie said. 'And it's really, it's a historical moment and I'm really happy to be here.'
Gussie said she's excited to cover Pope Leo XIV's papacy and feels blessed for the opportunity.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.