Overview

• Kielce Gussie, a 28-year-old journalist from Middleburg, Florida, read from the Acts of the Apostles in English during the funeral mass of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025.
• Gussie works for Vatican News and was selected for this role just days before the ceremony, marking a significant moment in her career.
• She holds a theology degree from Mount St. Mary’s University and a licentiate in Church Communication from the Pontifical University of Santa Croce in Rome.
• The funeral mass, held in St. Peter’s Square, drew nearly 200,000 attendees and featured readings in multiple languages to reflect the global nature of the Catholic Church.
• Pope Francis, who had met Gussie twice before his passing, will be interred in a simple tomb at the St. Mary Major Basilica.