Coachella Valley Resident Recalls Final Blessing from Pope Francis

We had eyes in Rome this week with one Coachella Valley resident present at the Vatican for Easter Sunday celebrations. She spoke to our Brett Rosen about the sudden death of Pope Francis—just one day after he blessed her and the gathered masses.

Brett Rosen joins us live in studio with more on that story.

For Coachella Valley native Brenda Solerman, this was the pope she found her faith in. The remarks Pope Francis delivered on Easter Sunday would end up being some of his final public words. The pontiff passed away early Monday morning at the age of 88, leaving many stunned who had just seen him alive and well.

“To hear the news, it was very sad and shocking,” Brenda said. “Because it was from a feeling of feeling blessed to a feeling of being like, how could this happen so fast, so soon? I just saw him yesterday.”

Brenda described the experience of seeing the Pope up close as deeply moving and unforgettable.

“It was a blessing to even have the surprise of him showing up in the end. He did come out, and on top of that, he still rode around in the car through the crowd,” she said. “So it was a beautiful, beautiful moment. I was able to see him up close passing by. It was something special and definitely my first time feeling something like that—so big, and shared with so many people.”

For Brenda, the biggest takeaway was how Pope Francis connected with others.

“His personality—he always gave so much humor to all of his prayers, to every single one of his speeches,” she said. “He was always connected with the people. Even seeing him go around in the car, that was such a huge act of his to do, knowing the state he was in.”

Brenda credits her grandparents for inspiring her spiritual foundation and said attending the mass in person was a defining, full-circle moment.

“It was more of a full-circle moment to be over here in representation of them,” she said. “They’re the main pillar for me. They’re why I think and believe in what I believe in now. So it was very special, and I made sure to share that moment with them from beginning to end.”

Pope Francis held the papacy for 12 years. As Brenda noted, his legacy as the first Latin American pope resonated deeply with the Hispanic community, including her family.

For NBC Palm Springs, I’m Brett Rosen.

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