With everything going on around the passing of Pope Francis, the Little Sisters of Jesus have made the news. In particular, Little Sister Geneviève Jeanningros was noticed by many. She stopped, with tears, longer than general protocol as the body of Pope Francis lay in state. Here is some of the news coverage from ABS-CBN News:
A nun, who was a longtime friend of Pope Francis, was seen crying and praying before his casket at Saint Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday (April 23). Sr. Genevieve Jeanningros, known for her ministry with the LGBTQIA+ community, had hosted the pope several times in Ostia. Vatican aides allowed the nun to stay for a longer time although it was the turn of cardinals, bishops, canons, members of the pope’s personal choir, and other members of the pontifical household.
Little Sister Geneviève may be known to some as being mentioned in chapter 12 of Pope Francis’ autobiography Hope. But I researched and reported on this friendship well before that, back in 2023, and recalled it when Pope Francis visited Ostia again nine months ago. Indeed, the connection between Francis and the Little Sisters of Jesus at Ostia’s Luna Park is how trans people started coming to the Wednesday General Audiences. This fact is alluded to when Sister Geneviève was styled an enfant terrible in the late Holy Father’s address to the Little Sisters during their General Chapter.
This week, too, Little Sister Geneviève has recorded her own story of her friendship with the late Holy Father. It is a remarkable and touching story, which is well worth listening to and meditating on. The Little Sisters of Jesus have posted the clip to YouTube, complete with English dubbing:
Meanwhile, the Italian-language Vatican News is reporting on the trans people who got to know Pope Francis through the Little Sisters of Jesus in Ostia. A delegation of them will be part of the funeral on Saturday:
The poor, the homeless, prisoners, transgender people, and migrants will say “goodbye,” but above all “thank you,” to a Pope who for many of them was like a “father.” […]
There will be about 40 people on the steps of the Papal Basilica [of St. Mary Major … including] “a small representative group of transsexuals that I know, that we follow, from a small community of nuns who live with these transsexuals [i.e., the Little Sisters of Jesus in Ostia],” explains Don Ben. “They have very beautiful stories behind them. One in particular, when we met even before Christmas, had just signed her first real work contract in her life with the help of the Diocesan Caritas of Rome. She was all excited.”
As well, the whole community of Little Sisters of Jesus (not just at Ostia but generally speaking) have put together a lovely little letter written to Pope Francis in heaven. This is a snippet:
Dear Pope Francis,
After all the hugs and joy that must have resounded in Heaven upon your arrival, we like to imagine your somewhat quieter encounter with little sister Magdeleine.
You didn’t know her well, but she watched over you from the beginning, as she did with each of the Popes. Every time you quoted Charles de Foucauld in an encyclical, an audience, or elsewhere, she rejoiced. But she was even more delighted by your many gestures, symbols of a poor Church at the service of the world…
Be sure to read the whole thing. I love that the Little Sisters are right now displaying just so much love for Pope Francis, as they have done in the past.
This post is subject to potential updates. Everything is moving pretty fast. Still, I wanted to assemble all this information here, where like the late Holy Father, we love the spiritual family of Charles de Foucauld so very much.
Contemplative in the Mud 