NIAGARA FALLS, NY (WKBW) — Niagara University President Father James Maher returned home after a week-long trip to Vatican City, where he met Pope Leo XIV and joined about 20 other Catholic higher education leaders for a seminar on the future of Catholic colleges.
Father Maher met me in his campus office on Thursday to discuss the conference and his meeting with Pope Leo.
"It was an opportunity to really hear about sustainability in the global context and what the Vatican is doing around that, about global migration, and about issues related to education going forward,” explained Maher. “The opportunity was really for us to be able to be together as presidents and sort of learn the inner workings of the Vatican and how it relates to higher education in the Catholic Church.”
During the private audience, Maher presented the pope with a book on St. Vincent de Paul.
"What was most impressive was the personal presence that he radiates. He came into the group; you never felt rushed, he gave a very brief but beautiful talk on Catholic higher education and its impact," Maher said. "I was able to present to him a book on St. Vincent de Paul, and he said, 'Oh, thank you very much for that.' So, I think it was just so, so impressive.”
Maher described the experience of meeting the first American pope as unique, pointing to Pope Leo's character as what left the strongest impression.
"His authenticity, he's a great listener, and so you know the best thing you can do sometimes is listen to people, and you know you're validating their life and their experience, when you just simply listen, and I think that radiates with people. His personal presence, his warmth, and his authenticity are very inviting, and that invites people in, I think, to the Catholic Church," Maher described.
WATCH: Niagara University president meets Pope Leo at Vatican higher education seminar
Maher said he plans to bring lessons from the visit back to his own leadership at Niagara University.
"Never lose sight of yourself and your humanity, and that's what I think is the greatest takeaway, right?" Maher said. "If Pope Leo can take time with everyone he's meeting throughout the course of a day to be fully present, highly engaged, and nurture human dignity. Well, so can I. So I take it as a challenge."
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