Pope Francis' final appearance in St. Peter's Square to be remembered fondly, New Jersey residents say
Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, some New Jersey residents who made the trip to the Vatican to get a glimpse of the pontiff on Easter Sunday are now overwhelmed with sadness.
"He was the embodiment of the way I always thought of my faith"
Radio personality Monica Guy took pictures with her family in St. Peter's Square and then captured Francis the blessing the faithful from a balcony overlooking the crowd.
"The crowd was cheering, 'Papa, papa, papa,' people from all over the world. The people to my right were from the Philippines ... behind me, Malaysia," Guy said.
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However, that joy turned to sadness on Monday following the announcement of the pope's death.
"It's so sad. On one hand, it's sad, and on the other hand, you can say job well done good, faithful servant," Guy said. "He was the embodiment of the way I always thought of my faith, someone who is inclusive, someone who isn't judging someone who sees himself as fallible as a human being."
Guy, who spoke to CBS News New York from the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where the pope will be buried, also captured Francis driving by in the popemobile on Sunday.
She said it was a bittersweet trip she'll never forget.
"I got to hear potentially Pope Francis' last public words ... that I was there with my children. My husband, who is not a Christian, was there, taking part in it. My 84-year-old mother was there," Guy said. "What a gift ... what a gift to be able to see him."
A "great gift" to the Catholic Church
Father Cesar Jaramillo, a member of the Paterson Diocese who is studying in Rome, said he also feels blessed to have seen the pope in St. Peter's Square one last time.
"Deep sense of loss, but I would say within the framework of Easter [I have] a tremendous sense of gratitude for the pontificate of Pope Francis and for the great gift that he was to the Church," Jaramillo said.
Four months ago during a private encounter, Jaramillo took a photo with Pope Francis.
"Every time you were in his presence you felt like the world around you all of a sudden disappeared and you were just one-on-one with a very holy man," Jaramillo said.
