New Jersey's Hispanic community mourns loss of Pope Francis
NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — The Hispanic community is mourning the loss of the first pope from Latin America.
'They can see themselves in him,' said Bishop Kevin Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese. 'He was a little boy who grew up in Argentina, of immigrant parents himself. His parents were immigrants from Italy. He understands us, the immigrant church, and the Latino church. He represents us so beautifully.'
More Local News
'Everybody is sad,' said Able Santos of Wayne. 'A lot of people are sad.'
'I just remember him being the first Jesuit pope from Argentina,' said George Rodriguez, who attended a midday mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. 'I'll just remember him as a humble man.'
Monsignor Geno Sylva, also of the Paterson Diocese, had the rare opportunity to work with Pope Francis on the Jubilee of Mercy, and said he watched as the Pope made time for a young girl in despair, pushing back his schedule with dignitaries and world leaders to tend to someone more vulnerable.
'She said, my brother's dying of cancer, I have to speak to the Holy Father,' recalls Msgr. Sylva, who said he then asked Pope Francis if he had time to meet with the girl. 'The Holy Father sits with this 12-year-old girl as if she's the Queen of England, for twenty minutes. And at the end, her tears of sadness were tears of joy.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
22News Notebook for June 10th
The 22News Notebook is Working for You with a look at these upcoming events in our western Massachusetts area: Polish Food Sale All your favorites available! Saturday, June 14, 9AM-1PM Immaculate Conception Church 25 Parker St., Indian Orchard Bottle & Can Drive To benefit Belchertown Cub Scout Pack 507 Wednesday, June 18, 10AM-1PM Belchertown Common Main Street We're happy to help spread the word about your non-profit event. Email details at least 2 weeks in advance to: notebook@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
New fully accessible playground opens in Scranton
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A new place to play is now in Scranton. The city celebrated the grand opening of the Butterfly Playground, a fully accessible space inside Nay Aug Park designed for children and adults of all abilities. What used to be a parking lot is now a place where everyone can play. 'Oh, I've already seen the kids in here playing, and it makes you really happy. You put a smile on your face to see them enjoying it,' said volunteer Doris Koloski. The Butterfly Playground in Nay Aug Park is Scranton's newest inclusive play space, featuring accessible ramps and a merry-go-round built into the surface, so kids of all abilities can ride. 'This project has equipment that's totally handicap accessible, which we don't see enough of in our region,' said Thom Welby, vice chair of the Scranton Municipal Recreation Authority. 'I think the idea was that they could all intermingle and I'll enjoy the stuff together and not have them separated out, and just so the kids could socialize,' said Koloski. The nearly $400,000 project was funded through a state casino grant, administered by the city, with support from lawmakers and local volunteers. PHOTOS: Wilkes-Barre mural causes controversy 'The volunteers up here, they've been having donut sales, just basket raffles, bingos, anything to raise money,' explained Welby. That extra money added activity panels throughout the playground. This is just phase one. City leaders say future phases will include additional age-specific areas, all part of an all-inclusive discovery corridor. 'We added paved ADA parking spaces to the adjacent parking lot here and then added an ADA accessible route to the playground, and the pour and play system is actually a granular rubber that's bound,' said Mike Lachman, landscape architect at Barry Issett & Associates. Making it wheelchair accessible and cleaner. 'Playground projects are always the fun ones because you get to see the kids enjoy it after the fact, it's not so much the ribbon-cutting after all that's done. It's coming back out and seeing the kids run around and play on the playground,' explained Lachman. The Butterfly Playground is now open to the public at Nay Aug Park. With this ribbon cutting, Scranton sends a clear message: Play is for everyone. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fauquier County Public Schools giving out free summer meals to kids
FAUQUIER COUNTY, Va. () — Fauquier County Public Schools will be giving out free meals to children during the summer. The Summer Food Service Program is offering free to-go meal kits to children who are two to 18 years old. Meal distribution will be from Monday to Thursday, starting on June 10 until July 24. Meals will not be offered on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. PHOTOS: Black bear travels to Herndon after traversing Maryland The kits will include breakfast and lunch for the day. On Thursdays, the kits will have meals for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Meals will be given out on a first-come-first-serve basis at these three locations: Salem Avenue (Townhomes), Marshall – 11 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Frost Street cul-de-sac (Marshall Townhomes), Marshall – 11:20 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. Marshall Community Center Library, Marshall – 11:40 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. Children are encouraged to attend in person to receive meal kits. Parents or guardians picking up meals without their children present need to show proof of eligibility. Acceptable documents for proof: A student ID A report card A health insurance card with the child's name and date of birth Any other document that reasonably identifies the child's name and age No invasive questions will be asked. The process is designed to be respectful and simple. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
