ASTORIA — Not everyone gets the chance to serve ice cream to the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, but Msgr. Cuong Pham did just that, once handing Pope Francis a dish of vanilla ice cream. 

The scene took place a decade ago, when Msgr. Pham, now pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Astoria, was living and working at the Vatican as an officer of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

The council, now known as the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, works directly with the pope and deals with canon law and its application throughout the Church. 

Part of Msgr. Pham’s job was to prepare documentation and present it to the pope, whom he recalled meeting with frequently. 

The ice cream service occurred in the council’s Vatican offices. A birthday party was taking place on a floor below, and the pope was delighted to hear the laughter and singing, Msgr. Pham said. So, he asked the Holy Father if he wanted some ice cream from the party.

During his nine years at the Vatican (2011-2019), Msgr. Pham got a close-up view of the pope and came away with lessons that he still uses in his ministry today. 

“Pope Francis had a real impact on me,” Msgr. Pham said, explaining that the most important lesson he learned was to be humble at all times. “Pope Francis, I have to say, is down to earth. He carries himself like a parish priest, not a person of great status.” 

The pontiff often traveled around the Vatican grounds without fanfare or entourage, including one time when he arrived at the council’s office for a meeting through an underground tunnel rather than the building’s front entrance.

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“It was interesting, and funny too, because we had people stationed at the front entrance thinking that they could greet him and escort him to the meeting,” Msgr. Pham said. “But he came in the back way.” 

Msgr. Pham recalled another time when he answered the phone at the council’s office and found that the Holy Father was on the line. He was struck by the fact that the pontiff identified himself as “Father Francis” rather than Pope Francis.

During Msgr. Pham’s tenure in Rome, the council worked with Pope Francis on issues such as streamlining the annulment process and reforming the Roman Curia, the administrative system of the Vatican.

Another lesson the pope taught him: the importance of listening to the faithful. 

“Pope Francis taught me the necessity of listening even to those who have no particular use to anybody, who are on the periphery,” Msgr. Pham said. “He taught me how to pay attention to the baker on the street and the dirty, homeless person.” 

“The Holy Father paid more attention to those people than to people one would associate with being powerful and important,” he added. “Being around him inspired me and gave me an example of how to carry on with my ministry.”