Latino Catholics in Spokane reflect on the legacy and loss of Pope Francis: ‘He was teaching us how to accept’

In June 2017, Lupita Gutierrez, a Spokane resident and active member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church, went to Rome for her 60th birthday, with members from the St. Patrick’s Church in Pasco.

They were standing among thousands in St. Peter’s Square, celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit, also known as Pentecost, when all of a sudden, she saw Pope Francis just a few feet away from her.

“People were singing in different languages at the same time, and then the Pope drove by saying hi to everybody,” Gutierrez recalled. “It was so, so beautiful.”

That memory came floating back to her Monday morning, after a member of the church told her the pope died; she was devastated.

“I was impacted because I had been seeing the news about him every day. He has been getting better, going back to the people and trying to serve as he used to do, but obviously he couldn’t,” Gutierrez said. “I am so blessed that I got to see him in Rome and be 5 feet away.”

Gutierrez is among the many Catholic Latinos across the state of Washington mourning the death of Pope Francis – a pope who, she said, not only spread the word of God but also taught the importance of unity and acceptance even if it came with criticism.

According to a 2024 Pew Research Center report, one in five U.S. adults describe themselves as Catholic. Over a third (36%) of them are Latino.

“He was seeing people as human beings, who sometimes make mistakes, but he wasn’t judging or criticizing anybody,” Gutierrez said.

Harley Salazar, a deacon for St. Joseph Catholic Church, said although he knew this was coming, he was saddened to hear the news.

“As a member of the church, I love the pope,” Salazar said in Spanish. “I had been very attentive of what he would say all the time, so, ultimately, I felt a lot of pain in me, because he has been a great impact in my life.”

He said Pope Francis, as the first Latin American pontiff, will always be an important part of the Latino community. He noted a letter Pope Francis sent out to U.S. bishops earlier this year that criticized deportations and the criminalization of migration.

This helped Latinos, especially migrants, across the nation feel included and seen, Salazar said.

“The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,” the pope’s letter states.

Salazar also said Pope Francis had become a key figure in making Latinos find peace during a time of uncertainty.

“He was humble. He was inclusive. He fought for Latinos who can’t because of everything that is happening in the United States,” Salazar said. “He’s always been attentive to our community, and that’s why we feel so connected.”

Gutierrez said she feels “blessed” knowing that she was able to see him in person and have that memory of the pope.

“He was always criticized, especially by political people for his stance on abortions and transgender people, but I think he was one of the best. And not because he was Latino, but because he was teaching us how to accept,” Gutierrez said.