JAMAICA — For Alexandra Prettitore, helping to create a mosaic to honor Pope Francis at St. John’s University was a meaningful way to honor the legacy of the late pontiff, whom she described as an “innovator.”
The English major sat alongside her sister, painting a 3×3 tile that would become part of a larger mural portraying the late pope’s face. As they painted, Prettitore reflected on Pope Francis’ papacy and the lasting impact he had on the Catholic Church.
“He made the Church progress in a way that aligned with Jesus’ teachings,” Prettitore said. “He was welcoming and accommodating to people who might not always be remembered in society or often ignored, the way Jesus was.”
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On April 23, students, faculty, and religious at St. John’s gathered outside the university’s St. Thomas More Church to create a heartfelt tribute to Pope Francis. Together, they contributed to a blue and purple mosaic of the pope’s face, with each brushstroke on the tile being a small act of remembrance. The intentionally minimalist design — one that allows everyone to participate — is based on a poster created by a graphic design student.
Some left personal notes of farewell on the tiles, with messages like “Rest in peace” and notes that echoed his teachings, including “We all have the duty to do good.”
The idea for the tribute originated from Daniel Napolitano, St. John’s director of student services for the Tobin College of Business, who said he felt compelled to help the campus grieve in a meaningful way. After hearing the news of the pope’s passing, he reached out to campus ministry with the concept for a pop-up art space where the St. John’s community could come together to reflect, create, and heal.
“The whole concept of community-based art is when a community is either celebrating, honoring, or healing, there’s a need to create and bond,” Napolitano said. “Since the news came out Monday morning, I wondered whether or not we would have an outlet for students … to quietly sit, paint, and discuss.”
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The finished product shows Pope Francis smiling, created through the process of “sitting in community,” which Napolitano calls the real work of art. To ensure the mosaic endures beyond the event, Napolitano made the tiles magnetic, allowing them to be removed and reassembled around campus.
“The mural is always a question of ‘who gets it?’ and I’ve already received a couple of requests for offices, but it is being painted on magnetic tiles so that we can move it throughout the building onto different surfaces,” Napolitano said. “I think it just gives it the ability to live on in different spaces, so it’s not dormant in one spot.”
For young adults like Maria Villarroel, a PhD candidate at the university, Pope Francis was the only pope they had ever known. She said she was grateful to take part in the tribute and wanted to honor a figure whose teachings she found endearing.
As a Latina and an immigrant, Villarroel was particularly moved when she learned that Pope Francis had been elected as the first Latin American pope. She said the moment filled her with pride.
“His advocacy always stood for the marginalized and for immigrants, which stood out to me, being Latina and an immigrant,” Villarroel said. “He always stood for what has always been close to my heart.”
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Graduate student Juliana Biondi said the pope was a “great” pontiff who exhibited “humility” throughout his papacy, and even in death.
“He’s not into the glitz and glamour,” Biondi said. “He’s more into humility and wishes to go back to the roots of being a simple priest instead of the pope.”
After completing the mosaic, students were invited to a Mass for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis, led by Father Brian Shanley, president of St. John’s.
“What we do in times like this is come together and celebrate the Eucharist, and that’s what we are here to do today,” Father Shanley said. “We are here to hear God’s word and celebrate with joy, the witness of Francis.”
