“Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again, rejoice!” A year has passed since Pope Francis visited the Church of Washington, yet the memories are still fresh and the images vivid. As we mark this anniversary, his words of joy in Christ and his Gospel resonate again in our hearts.

The visit of Pope Francis, the visible sign of the rock on which our Lord Jesus founded his Church, was and continues to be a time of grace. The heart of his mission, he explained to the country’s bishops, was “to testify to the immensity of God’s love,” and the breadth of his trip in terms of the people he met – from those with power to those on the margins – demonstrated the depth of his pastoral concern.

The Holy Father reminded followers of Christ of our calling to be missionary disciples, to be witnesses of the Good News to many who are searching for meaning, purpose and a ray of hope. Meanwhile, he asked people of all beliefs to reach across boundaries of politics, ideology, and sources of division to work for the common good, especially to care for the lives and dignity of those who are vulnerable and marginalized.

At the center of Pope Francis’ visit was the Eucharistic liturgy on the steps of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where Franciscan Father Junípero Serra, the extraordinary missionary who evangelized this land, was declared a saint. Seeing the first pope from the New World celebrate the first Canonization Mass here in the United States is history to remember always. Meanwhile in the crowd, the faces of the whole world were on display.

Our Holy Father reminded us that we are heirs to a “bold missionary spirit,” citing how an animated Saint Junípero “learned how to bring to birth and nurture God’s life in the faces of everyone he met; he made them his brothers and sisters.” Likewise, we too are called to “go out to proclaim the merciful embrace of the Father,” he said. “Go out to proclaim the Good News that error, deceitful illusions and falsehoods do not have the last word in a person’s life.”

Noting that the world “is already so torn and divided, brokenness is now everywhere,” the pontiff placed particular emphasis on encounter and unity. Speaking to the bishops, he said it is essential for the Church to offer the “powerful leaven of communion” and “be a humble home, a family fire which attracts men and women through the attractive light and warmth of love.”

Similarly, Pope Francis placed great stress on solidarity in meeting with the President and Congress. Urging lawmakers to “confront every form of polarization which would divide us,” he said, “Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples. We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.”

In this effort, he said, “It is important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love, which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society.” Most particularly, he affirmed that “every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity.”

Pope Francis lifted up the dignity of every person as a child of God in a profound way when he met with some of our sisters and brothers in need at Saint Patrick’s Church and Catholic Charities. “There are many unjust situations, but we know that God is suffering with us, experiencing them at our side. He does not abandon us,” he assured them. Then, following his talk, it was touching to see so many of them gather around to be near this humble pastor of souls who simply shared with them the love of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 3:6).

The local theme for the papal visit, “Share the Joy, Walk with Francis,” became a lived reality as everywhere he went there was a sense of elation and affection. I will always remember the sights and sounds of the vibrancy, the youthfulness and the future of the Church, especially the more than 3,000 seminarians, novices and postulants from around the country who enthusiastically greeted the successor of Saint Peter at the Basilica.

The seeds of faith that Pope Francis scattered here are bearing fruit as the Gospel message he brought is woven into the fabric of the human experience. The highly successful Walk with Francis initiative and the associated social media campaign, which included over 100,000 people offering up prayer, service and action, are still ongoing and sprouting new branches, new opportunities to bring to others the hope of the Gospel and to share the joy of knowing that we are loved by God.

The visit of the Vicar of Christ was a reminder to each of us, with our own personal gifts and abilities, to help manifest Christ’s kingdom. Thus, this anniversary should not be simply a time for memories of the past, but, as he urged us to do at the Canonization Mass, it should be a summons to “keep moving forward” in proclaiming the hope and joy of the Gospel.