HUNTINGTON, Indiana (OSV) — With deep sorrow and profound gratitude, the board of directors, senior leadership, and staff of Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) join the church and the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, the 265th successor of St. Peter. His Holiness died at 7:35 a.m. Rome time on April 21, having served as the Bishop of Rome since 2013.
Pope Francis was a shepherd of compassion, a witness to mercy, and a tireless advocate for the poor and marginalized. Like the reigns of his immediate predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II, his pontificate was marked by a call to encounter, dialogue, and missionary discipleship — reminding the church of her evangelical heart and urging all people to go to the peripheries with the light of Jesus Christ.
As the premier Catholic publisher in the United States, OSV is honored to have played a role in amplifying the Holy Father’s voice. As the North American publisher of the English-language edition of L’Osservatore Romano and through our joint publication with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) of his papal documents, apostolic exhortations, encyclicals, and several bestselling books — including “Laudato Si’,” “Fratelli Tutti,” “Evangelii Gaudium,” and his most recent encyclical, “Dilexit Nos” — OSV has faithfully sought to bring Pope Francis’ teachings to Catholics across the country and around the world.
“Our hearts are heavy today,” said Kyle Hamilton, CEO of OSV. “Pope Francis embodied the mercy of God and the hope of the Gospel in a deeply personal and pastoral way. His words and witness will continue to shape the church for generations. We are humbled to have been a small part of his mission through our publishing ministry.”
“In a pontificate marked by memorable moments, none was more iconic than Pope Francis standing alone in a rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering an ‘urbi et orbi’ blessing to an empty piazza — and to the entire world,” recalled Scott P. Richert, publisher for OSV. “In the face of fear and uncertainty, the Holy Father reminded us that we are never alone, for Christ is always with us. That image will remain etched in the heart of the church for generations, and it captures so much of who Pope Francis was: a pastor close to the people, speaking not only to Catholics but to every person searching for light in darkness.”
Our Sunday Visitor invites the faithful to follow OSV News and Our Sunday Visitor magazine for comprehensive coverage and thoughtful analysis of this historic moment in the life of the church — including reporting on Pope Francis’s passing, his funeral, and the coming conclave. Visit OSVNews.com and OurSundayVisitor.com for ongoing updates as the church prepares to elect the next successor of St. Peter.
The board of directors, senior leadership, and staff of OSV extend our prayers to the College of Cardinals as they prepare for the coming conclave, and to the faithful throughout the world as we enter together this time of mourning and remembrance.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
ABOUT OSV
As the leading Catholic publisher in the United States, OSV provides products and solutions to more than nine of every 10 Catholic parishes and every Catholic diocese in the country. Founded in 1912 by Father John Francis Noll, the company continues to serve the church through a wide range of products and services. From daily and monthly publications, to software solutions, fundraising and consulting services, curriculum products, trade books, and parish publications, OSV helps individual Catholics, families, parishes, and dioceses to grow closer to Christ and contribute to the growth and vitality of his church in the world. A not-for-profit Catholic organization, OSV has been supporting the needs of the church for over a century. Learn more at osv.com.
Updated April 30, 2025, 2:16 p.m. EDT
