Photo Courtesy of Father Bob Hussey

ATLANTA—Members of the local Jesuit community are remembering Pope Francis—the first pope from the Society of Jesus—for his joy and emphasis on discernment. 

Father Bob Hussey, SJ, pastor of Decatur’s St. Thomas More Church, has been a priest for 25 years.  

“My interest was first in priesthood,” said Father Hussey. The reputation of the Jesuits then attracted him. “It was the right fit for me,” he said.  

Father Hussey was drawn to the order’s emphasis on academic and theological rigor, and to its Ignatian spirituality. “It’s a world-engaged spirituality,” said the priest. 

Father Hussey was serving at a parish in the Diocese of Raleigh when Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope. 

“It was a big surprise,” said Father Hussey.  

Because Jesuits are called to be servants, they don’t aspire to leadership positions in the Catholic Church.  

The priest had two encounters with Pope Francis, the first while serving as Provincial of the Maryland Province of the Jesuits. 

Father Hussey attended “provincial school” in Rome in 2015. He and nearly 20 other provincials concelebrated Mass in Spanish with Pope Francis at the Vatican’s Santa Marta Chapel.  

The priest recalls the responsorial Psalm that day was “Oh that you would hear the voice of the Lord.” The pope talked about not just what the Lord is saying but that he speaks with tenderness and patience and how to use that in governance, said Father Hussey. 

“What’s our speaking like?” Pope Francis asked the group.  

“It stuck with me” said Father Hussey about the unique homily. 

The Holy Father stayed in the chapel to pray for a few moments, and blew out the altar candles himself before coming to visit with the group members, said Father Hussey. 

The pastor has a photo of the pope in conversation with him as a souvenir. 

The following year, he attended a papal Mass for Jesuits from around the world. Although not as intimate a setting, “it was very special,” said Father Hussey. 

Pope Francis had a whole emphasis on discernment for all, the priest said. “He really believes the Spirit is at work in the world.” 

Father Hussey highlighted Pope Francis’ exhortation “Joy of the Gospel” in 2013, outlining how all people can engage or participate in God’s work. 

“It’s astounding. This is Good News,” said Father Hussey. 

A witness to hope 

Sarah Otto, retreat and program director at Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center in Atlanta, didn’t know much about the Society of Jesus before attending the Jesuit-run Santa Clara University in California.  

“I fell in love with Ignatian Spirituality and the Jesuits,” she said. 

Otto is a “doubly Jesuit educated,” having earned a Master of Divinity at Boston College. She spent a year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.  

While in her first campus ministry job at Providence College, she found herself working among all Dominicans.  

“They always gave me grief,” Otto said. In March 2013, her campus ministry team was together watching the surprising news of the election of a Jesuit pope.  

“They all looked at me. It made me very proud,” recalled Otto. 

When remembering Pope Francis, “the first word that comes to mind is joy,” she said. His message is “all the more relevant because it was grounded in joy.” 

Otto also believes Francis’ ministry of listening, both personally and institutionally, was important. 

“Being listened to can change people’s lives,” she said. “He wanted the church to be a listening church.” 

For Otto, one of the most memorable moments of his pontificate was the washing of the feet at the women’s prison in Rome during Holy Week of 2024.  

“What a beautiful reminder that Jesus wants everyone at the feast,” she said. Even in his last days, “he was such a witness of hope.” 

Otto has served at Ignatius House for nearly eight years. Her husband, Andy, is on the parish staff at St. Thomas More Church. She and her husband lead a marriage prep program, approved by the Archdiocese of Atlanta, called “Fall in Love, Stay in Love.” The program draws upon the wisdom of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. 

They have three children and Pope Francis’ exhortation, “The Joy of Love,” has been important in their family life.  

As a mother preparing to welcome each child, she recalled the pope’s words in the exhortation: “For God allows parents to choose the name by which he himself will call their child for all eternity.” 

In a newsletter, Maria Cressler, executive director of Ignatius House, wrote about how fitting it was that Pope Francis offered his final Urbi et Orbi blessing hours before his death.  

“A Jesuit to his core, Jorge Mario Bergoglio lived and led in a way that reflected the heart of Ignatian spirituality: a life rooted in prayer, service, discernment and deep care for the world and all who dwell in it,” wrote Cressler.

On its Facebook page, the Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School community mourned the pope’s passing, sharing photos from the “2 Philly 4 Francis” pilgrimage made by Cristo Rey students and chaperones in September 2015 during the Pope’s visit to the United States. 

“A shepherd to the world and a Jesuit whose life was an example of humility, compassion, and a deep commitment to social justice, he called us to care for the poor, protect God’s creation, and walk in solidarity with the marginalized,” the school’s post read. “May his example and legacy guide our students, faculty, and community to be men and women for and with others.”