Latest news with #Gussie
New York Post
26-04-2025
- General
- New York Post
Vatican News reporter Kielce Gussie calls role at Pope Francis' funeral ‘a huge honor'
American journalist Kielce Gussie learned just three days beforehand that she would be doing the first reading at Pope Francis' funeral mass Saturday. 'My initial thought was 'Oh my God' but then, after I thought, 'This is such a huge honor,' to be a part of this momentous occasion,' she told CBS News. 'Also, for me, it's such a big way to say thank you to Pope Francis.' The 28-year-old Florida native writes for the Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church, according to her LinkedIn page. She earned her bachelor's in theology at Mount St. Mary's University, a Catholic university in Maryland, and then went on to get a degree in church communication from the Pontifical University in Rome. 3 Kielce Gussie had the honor of doing the first reading at the funeral of Pope Francis. On her Instagram page @preferisco_paradiso, she describes herself as 'Bringing the beauty of the Catholic Faith to people through social media and the world around us.' Gussie actually met the pope twice — once on her birthday — and His Holiness even blessed her set of rosary beads. 'In those moments, I didn't see him as the head of the Catholic Church, I saw him as a grandfather,' she told the outlet. 'And so for me, I will remember him as someone who really cared for each person that he met.' 3 Gussie shared the news on her X page. X / @Gussie_Kielce 3 The Florida native read in front of the 250,000 mourners gathered. X / @Gussie_Kielce She read from the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, in St. Peter's Square, in front of the 250,000 mourners gathered.
New York Times
26-04-2025
- General
- New York Times
Who Was the American Who Did the First Reading at Pope Francis' Funeral Mass?
The honor of delivering the first reading at Pope Francis' funeral Mass on Saturday fell to Kielce Gussie, an American who works as a reporter with Vatican News. It was, she said on social media, 'a great way to say goodbye' to the pontiff. In a strong, resonant voice before the many thousands of mourners who had gathered in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Ms. Gussie read from the Acts of the Apostles 10: 34-43, a Bible verse that Francis chose for the service and that holds large significance for Catholics. Ms. Gussie, 28, grew up in Florida, and graduated from Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland with a degree in theology, according to her LinkedIn profile. She began working in Rome in 2019, according to her profile, and last October joined Vatican News — a news agency that Francis created to bolster news coverage of the church and the Vatican. 'I'm really happy to be here because it's a great way to say goodbye to Pope Francis,' Ms. Gussie said on social media outside St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday morning before the Mass. She added that her last memory of Francis was from her birthday. 'He gave me a little blessing,' she said. 'It's really a special way to spend my birthday.' She said it had been difficult to see Francis grow frail in his final days, 'but he gave everything until the end.'
Daily Mirror
26-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Kielce Gussie: American journalist who read at Pope's funeral and why was she chosen
Kielce Gussie gave the first reading at the funeral mass held for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square in Rome on Saturday, April 26 - here's what you need to know about her An American journalist has made international headlines after being unexpectedly chosen to give the first reading at the funeral of Pope Francis. On Saturday, April 26, at the funeral mass held in St. Peter's Square, Rome, 28 year old Kielce Gussie took the podium to honour the Pope with a reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, recounting the origins of the Christian Church. As a journalist for Vatican News in Rome, where she has resided since 2019, Gussie was humbled by the request. According to Deborah Norville of Inside Edition, Gussie was informed of her role in the funeral just three days prior to the ceremony. Originally from Florida, Gussie relocated to Maryland to pursue her higher education before eventually settling in Rome, as shared by Norville on her Instagram. Upon learning the news, Gussie recalled, "My initial thought was 'Oh my god' but then, after I thought 'this is such a huge honor,' to be a part of this momentous occasion. Also, for me, it's such a big way to say thank you to Pope Francis," as reported by CBS News. Gussie joined Vatican News just seven months before Francis' funeral, as her LinkedIn profile shows. A devout Catholic, Gussie has had the honour of meeting the pope twice, with one encounter falling on her birthday, which she cherishes as a special personal moment, as reported by CBS News. Reflecting on their meeting, Gussie shared with the news outlet, "I didn't see him as the head of the Catholic Church, I saw him as a grandfather. And so for me, I will remember him as someone who really cared for each person that he met." Before her current role, Gussie spent two years reporting for Rome Reports TV News Agency and worked as a production assistant at EWTN in 2020. Prior to her relocation to Rome, she completed her studies at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md. , where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology. The funeral of Pope Francis on April 26 saw over 250,000 people, including dignitaries like President Donald Trump, Joe and Jill Biden, and Prince William, descend upon Rome to pay their respects. The Vatican disclosed that Pope Francis passed away due to a cerebral stroke leading to coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse on April 21. The pontiff's health was also compromised by a "previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type II diabetes."
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Francis' Funeral: American Journalist Kielce Gussie Gives the First Reading at Service in St. Peter's Square
An American journalist is making headlines after being chosen to give the first reading at Pope Francis' funeral. Kielce Gussie gave the first reading at the funeral mass held for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square in Rome on Saturday, April 26, following his death on April 21. She read a passage from the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, telling the story of the founding of the Christian Church, at the podium in Francis' honor. The 28-year-old is a journalist at Vatican News in Rome and has lived in Italy's capital since 2019, CBS News reported. Gussie learned she would be part of the funeral just three days before the service on April 23, Inside Edition's Deborah Norville shared on her Instagram. Gussie is from Florida and moved to Maryland to attend college before relocating to Rome, according to Norville. Sharing her reaction to speaking at the service, Gussie said, "My initial thought was 'Oh my god' but then, after I thought 'this is such a huge honor,' to be a part of this momentous occasion. Also, for me, it's such a big way to say thank you to Pope Francis," per CBS News. Related: Pope Francis Funeral Live Updates: Thousands Gather to Mourn with Trump, Prince William and More Gussie joined Vatican News just seven months before Francis' funeral, according to her LinkedIn page. She is a devout Catholic and has met the pope twice, including one time on her birthday in a special personal encounter which remains a fond memory of hers, CBS News reported. Gussie told the outlet of their meeting, 'I didn't see him as the head of the Catholic Church, I saw him as a grandfather. And so for me, I will remember him as someone who really cared for each person that he met." Related: Pope Francis' Coffin Sealed in Private Ceremony After 250,000 Mourners Paid Their Respects Gussie previously worked as a journalist for Rome Reports TV News Agency for two years and as a production assistant at EWTN a year prior in 2020. Before moving to Rome, she attended Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Over 250,000 people came to Rome to show their respects at Pope Francis' funeral on April 26, including world leaders such as President Donald Trump, Joe and Jill Biden and Prince William. According to the Vatican, Pope Francis died of a cerebral stroke that caused a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse on April 21. The pontiff was also affected by a "previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type II diabetes." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Francis' Funeral: American Journalist Kielce Gussie Gives the First Reading at Service in St. Peter's Square
An American journalist is making headlines after being chosen to give the first reading at Pope Francis' funeral. Kielce Gussie gave the first reading at the funeral mass held for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square in Rome on Saturday, April 26, following his death on April 21. She read a passage from the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, telling the story of the founding of the Christian Church, at the podium in Francis' honor. The 28-year-old is a journalist at Vatican News in Rome and has lived in Italy's capital since 2019, CBS News reported. Gussie learned she would be part of the funeral just three days before the service on April 23, Inside Edition's Deborah Norville shared on her Instagram. Gussie is from Florida and moved to Maryland to attend college before relocating to Rome, according to Norville. Sharing her reaction to speaking at the service, Gussie said, "My initial thought was 'Oh my god' but then, after I thought 'this is such a huge honor,' to be a part of this momentous occasion. Also, for me, it's such a big way to say thank you to Pope Francis," per CBS News. Related: Pope Francis Funeral Live Updates: Thousands Gather to Mourn with Trump, Prince William and More Gussie joined Vatican News just seven months before Francis' funeral, according to her LinkedIn page. She is a devout Catholic and has met the pope twice, including one time on her birthday in a special personal encounter which remains a fond memory of hers, CBS News reported. Gussie told the outlet of their meeting, 'I didn't see him as the head of the Catholic Church, I saw him as a grandfather. And so for me, I will remember him as someone who really cared for each person that he met." Related: Pope Francis' Coffin Sealed in Private Ceremony After 250,000 Mourners Paid Their Respects Gussie previously worked as a journalist for Rome Reports TV News Agency for two years and as a production assistant at EWTN a year prior in 2020. Before moving to Rome, she attended Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Over 250,000 people came to Rome to show their respects at Pope Francis' funeral on April 26, including world leaders such as President Donald Trump, Joe and Jill Biden and Prince William. According to the Vatican, Pope Francis died of a cerebral stroke that caused a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse on April 21. The pontiff was also affected by a "previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type II diabetes." Read the original article on People
