It would not be easy to think of a person who has been photographed more than Pope Francis. Candid photos captured him throughout the course of his papacy – spending time among the people, greeting those who reach out to him, celebrating Mass, speaking in places both prestigious and humble. He also is the subject of an unfathomable number of posed shots and courtesy selfies, always patient with the demands on his time and his image.
PHOTO GALLERY: Pope Francis and our Priests in the Diocese of Trenton
Anyone who was able to have a photo taken with the Holy Father has cherished it, much like the priests depicted on this page. A photo with Pope Francis commemorates the experience of meeting the pontiff or being in his presence.
But Pope Francis has impacted lives and left a lasting impression, even without a photo to remember him by. Catholics and non-Catholics across the globe carry cherished memories or special connections to the Holy Father.
Photo Captions:
1. Last September, Father Alberto Tamayo, C.O., and Father Nicholas Dolan, C.O., of the Oratory Church of St. Anthony of Padua, Red Bank, join with the superiors and other representatives from Oratories throughout the world during the Congress of the Confederation of Oratories in Rome. Father Tamayo is pictured second to the last row in the middle and Father Dolan is pictured in the top row on the left.
2. Father Walter Quiceno, current parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, exchanges conversation with the Holy Father.
3. Father Zachary Swantek, current director and chaplain of Aquinas Institute at Princeton University, is shown greeting Pope Francis during the time he worked on the Synod of the Family in October 2014.
4. Pope Francis visited my home country Colombia in 2017 to help our mainly catholic nation achieve peace and reconciliation after a long internal conflict. Here we are, almost 1.5 million people at Medellín Airport. It was a blessing to concelebrate mass with His Holiness; a very spiritual and uplifting experience! Father Andrés Serna, St. Dorothea Parish, parochial vicar.
5 Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Lorentsen, now pastor of St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, speaks with Pope Francis while serving as part of a delegation of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men visiting the various Vatican Discasteries in October 2013.
6. Father Javier Diaz, pastor of Christ the King Parish, Long Branch, had an opportunity to meet Pope Francis last fall when Father Diaz participated in a formation course in Rome for canon lawyers.
7. “Meeting the Holy Father was an uplifting experience that I will cherish forever. His presence radiated kindness and compassion, embodying the very essence of what it means to serve others, especially those on the margins. ” Father Guilherme A. Andrino, SVD., Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, pastor.
8. While on pilgrimage in Rome with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and priests of the Diocese, Father Christopher Dayton, pastor of St. Paul Parish, Princeton, shakes hands with the Holy Father during a gathering at the Vatican in January 2024.