22-04-2025
Remembering the connection the Pope had to NEPA
Apr. 21—WILKES-BARRE — In 2015, with the eyes of the world on the United States for the historic visit of Pope Francis, Wyoming Valley native Bob Ciaruffoli was at the center of it all.
Ciaruffoli, who grew up in Swoyersville, attended Central Catholic High School and graduated from King's College, was serving as president/chairman of World Meeting of Families — the organization that convenes every three years, culminating with a visit of the Holy Father.
Ciaruffoli, who now resides in the Philadelphia area, took time on Monday to recall his friendship with Pope Francis and to offer comments on the pontiff's passing.
"He's going to be missed," Ciaruffoli said. "He was truly the people's Pope. Yes, he met with dignitaries, religious leaders, world leaders and business leaders, but his real passion was meeting with common people. Pope Francis sincerely cared about the people who were often forgotten and under-served."
Ciaruffoli said in 2015, he and his team at World Meeting of Families had planned for the pope's visit since 2012. They planned out all events, including Pope Francis' itinerary.
There were an estimated 1,800 people at a Mass at the Cathedral of Ss. Peter & Paul and more than 50,000 people attended the Pope's address at Independence Hall.
Pope Francis spoke at Independence Hall before celebrating at the Festival of Families — a massive free party held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the Pope also said a Mass for an estimated 1 million people.
Ciaruffoli said he recalls that Pope Francis was beloved wherever he went, making sure to always spend time with the people.
Ciaruffoli said Pope Francis visited the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility to meet with 100 prisoners and their families. He also talked to corrections officers and their families.
"It was very personal for him to meet with the prisoners and their families and he spent a lot of time with them," Ciaruffoli recalled. "He was so engaging — you could see the passion in his face and hear it in his words."
Ciaruffoli said Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was the first non-European pope in over a millennium. Born in Argentina, Pope Francis was the first Latin American and first from the Americas to hold the papacy. He was elected in 2013 and served until his death in 2025.
"He came from an area where economic conditions shaped who he was," Ciaruffoli said. "He shied away from the wealthy. He was always about the commoners. You have to respect him for that."
The 2015 experience has never left Ciaruffoli
"Not since September 2015 has a day gone by that I don't have a flashback to the events of that visit," Ciaruffoli said. "I guess you can say it's been the gift that keeps on giving. I am very sorry to hear that he has passed."
Ciaruffoli said the World Meeting of Families Conference, the world's largest gathering of Catholic families, featured 100 speakers, panel discussions, workshops and more at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Then the citywide Francis Festival took place over the weekend.
Ciaruffoli said working on the papal visit was exhausting, but he said he felt honored to have had the opportunity to play such a major role in the visit. Ciaruffoli said he had met the the pope on several occasions prior to the U.S. visit.
"It all was very inspiring for me," he said. "Spending so much time on the papal visit and having been able to spend time with Pope Francis was clearly an opportunity of a lifetime."
Now retired, Ciaruffoli also is a co-founder of Broad Street Angels, a 100 member Philadelphia based angel investor network which invests in early-stage entrepreneurial businesses with high growth potential. He also serves as an advisor to entrepreneurs and their firms.
Local ties
Ciaruffoli's connections to the Wyoming Valley are deep. He grew up in Swoyersville on Owens Street and the family moved to Forty Fort when he was 15. After college, he joined the Marine Corps.
Ciaruffoli moved back to the area and joined Parente Randolph LLC accounting firm in Wilkes-Barre. He stayed here until moving to Philadelphia in 2004, where he became CEO at Baker Tilly.
Ciaruffoli is the oldest of 10 children. Married to the former Kathy Ramage of Pittston, he and his wife have one son.
"Growing up in Northeastern Pennsylvania I learned to respect just about everything — certainly all people," he said in 2015. "And I learned the importance of having a great work ethic."
In the 2015 story in the Times Leader, he said it's no coincidence that he got involved in the World Meeting of Families, having come from a large family. He said the Catholic Church had a big influence on him and family has always meant a lot to him.
Pope's style
Ciaruffoli said people generally never knew what Pope Francis would say.
"I mean that in the most positive way," Ciaruffoli said.
Ciaruffoli said Pope Francis was an inspiring man, calling him refreshing and a man who was not afraid to shake things up and make changes in in areas that he felt aren't going well.
"He modernized how the church does business," Ciaruffoli said in 2015. "In 15 months, he and his people modernized the Vatican Bank. He is not afraid to look around and challenge what is going on. He is always willing to do what needs to be done."
Ciaruffoli said the Pope's visit to Philadelphia was estimated to generate some $418 million in regional economic impact, according to a study commissioned by the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor's Bureau. All 11,300-plus rooms in Philadelphia were expected to sell out and thousands of other visitors traveled daily from hotels in several states.
Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia marked the second time the city has hosted a sitting pope. In October 1979, one million onlookers greeted Pope John Paul II for a Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway during his first papal visit to the United States.
Remembering papal visit to Cuba
Pope Francis inspired people worldwide — largely due to his constant effort to treat each other as we would want to be treated.
Pope Francis seemed to have a calming effect on people.
Before Pope Francis arrived in the U.S. in 2015, he stopped in Cuba. He visited with Raul Castro, who had assumed leadership of the island country when his brother, Fidel, become too ill to continue. Some criticized the pope for walking and talking with the Castros.
Many thought that the papal visit to Cuba would accelerate positive reform there — that the people would have the freedom to worship as they please.
Juan and Elena DeRojas of Mountain Top, both now deceased, knew what it was like to live in a country where decisions are made for you — decisions like where and how to worship.
Juan and Elena were raised in the Catholic church in Cuba. They were a young couple with five children and wanted the very best for their kids. And they wanted their children to be raised in the Catholic church.
But in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it became clear to them that Cuba was changing. Fidel Castro was in charge and he brought Communism to the country. Juan was a young physician. He knew he had to leave his home country. He wanted to come to America so he and his family could live free, he said in 2015.
It was an emotional time for Juan and Elena. They knew they now had new opportunities in America. Back in Cuba, the Castro government was taking control of everything — schools, media, everything, the couple said. Juan said he attended the same school as Fidel Castro, who is a year younger than he was.
Everything Christian was being removed from schools, Juan recalled in 2015.
It was emotional for Juan and Elena and their children to see Pope Francis visiting Cuba. Juan, who has read Pope Francis' books, has followed the pontiff closely.
He saw the reaction of the Cuban people to Pope Francis. He saw their smiles and the look of hope on their faces. He shared that hope, for his fellow countrymen and for a better future. He hoped to see a return of Christian values to Cuba and he felt Pope Francis, simply by visiting, helped move that along.
Juan and Elena saw Pope Francis opening his arms to everyone and opening doors that had been closed for years. They saw him drawing attention to world problems, like helping the poor, feeding the hungry, accepting those who are different.
Juan was proud of Pope Francis, a native of Argentina. He liked that he was trying to change old ideas and practices. He was confident change would come.
On his way to the U.S., Juan said he prayed a lot. He said his faith guided him.
That faith kept Juan and Elena together for 65 years. They received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis on the occasion of their 65th wedding anniversary.
America opened its arms to Juan and Elena and their children. They have never forgotten that.
That's why they smiled when they saw Pope Francis opening his arms to the world.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
