Pope Francis remembered on Long Island as a leader who "opened up doors"
Simple words and gentle gestures -- that is how Long Islanders remember Pope Francis, a pontiff they loved and respected.
Francis, who challenged deeply rooted norms and made it his mission to change the perception of the Catholic Church around the world, died at the age of 88 on Monday, a day after he surprised many by appearing at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Easter Sunday to greet well-wishers.
His loss is being felt deeply across the world, especially on Long Island, where 52% of adults identify as Catholic, a significant increase over the 20% who identify as such nationwide.
The population is becoming more diverse, and prayers have been offered for more families and younger people to join the church in the name of Pope Francis.
Jewish family knighted by the pope
Gary and Meredith Krupp met the pope five times, including at the Vatican four weeks ago. Their Wantagh home is filled with memorabilia.
The Krupps are unique. They are the only Jewish couple in the history of the Catholic Church to be knighted by the pope.
"Our motto is embrace the similarities, savor the differences," Meredith Krupp said.
They were honored for their non-sectarian Pave The Way Foundation, which brings faiths together.
"We don't deal with theology. We deal with problems between regions," Gary Krupp said.
They said they loved the pope for how he embraced everyone.
"He opened doors while others put up walls"
Dr. Phyllis Zagano, of Hofstra University's Department of Religion, was the only woman in the Western Hemisphere to be invited by Pope Francis to serve on his commission questioning female deacons in the Catholic Church.
"He brought me to the Vatican. I grew up in Levittown," Zagano said. "There is no doctrine against ordaining women as deacons. When the pope was asked last May by Norah O'Donnell at your station, his answer was kind of 'not on my watch.'"
However, Zagano said the pope urged her to continue her work on women in the church.
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David Kilmnick, president of the LGBT Network, said the next pope will continue such outreach. Who that will be won't be known for weeks.
"Pope Francis was a transformative figure for the LGBTQ+ community. He opened doors while others put up walls," Kilmnick said.
Parishioners at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre said the pope's kind words welcoming all communities resounded with them. Father Michael Duffy explained how the congregation will honor the next pope.
"When the new Holy Father is announced, we will toll the bells instead of peel the bells, and the bunting will be gold and white in celebration of a new Holy Father," Duffy said.
