ANNETTE WALKER, president of City of Hope Orange County and former interim CEO of St. Joseph Health, went with her husband Charles “Chuck” Walker to Rome to witness the selection of the new pope, Leo XIV. Annette and Chuck, who live in Coto de Caza, are devout Catholics and parishioners at San Francisco Solano Catholic Church in Rancho Santa Margarita. A mother of six, Annette woke up at 3 a.m. one morning feeling called to go. She and Chuck, who is a basketball coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, were there when the white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that a new pope had been elected on Thursday, May 8.
ANNETTE AND CHUCK WALKER ARE WITH BISHOP ROBERT BARRON IN ROME. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNETTE WALKER
Q: What did it mean to you to be witness to such a historic moment?
A: We feel so blessed that we were there for this moment in time. It’s something that we will always remember and treasure. It sends chills through your body thinking about the history we were witnessing.
Q: What was it like when the white smoke went up?
A: It was just after 6 o’clock and very, very warm. All of a sudden, the smoke went up and you heard this giant roar and yelling and clapping and dancing and the bells started ringing. It was just amazing – the energy and electricity in the square.
Q: What was the reaction to the new pope being American?
A: Everybody was surprised. At first, we didn’t think we had heard it correctly. But as the news went through the crowd, people became very excited and started chanting USA and yelling, “We have a Papa.”
Q: Why did you make the journey to Rome?
A: I woke up on April 21 at 3 a.m. and I read the news of Pope Francis’s passing. Before I drifted back to sleep, a nagging memory surfaced: Francis’s election 12 years ago. I was in my office at St. Joseph Health when he stepped onto the balcony at St. Peter’s. Even across the ocean, I could feel the joy and excitement of the crowd. It was sacred. It was history. I felt a quiet certainty that someday, I would be there. Before I fell back asleep, I knew that someday had come. When my husband Chuck woke up at 6 a.m., I gave him exactly three minutes before saying, “We need to go witness the conclave.” Naturally, he thought I was a little crazy—especially with everything going on. I asked him for a few hours to figure it out. And sometimes, when something is meant to happen, it just does.
Q: What was it like to be gathered with so many likeminded people?
A:. Although we were sharing the space with some 40,000 -100,000 in the heat and the cold, humors were good and spirits were friendly. We met many nice, gracious people of many faiths and places of origin. All were sensing something really important was about to happen. There was an immediate strong and loud reaction as soon as the black smoke was visible. If this was the reaction to the black smoke, we couldn’t wait to see what happens when it would be white!
Q: Anything stand out to you about Rome?
A: The presence of the Catholic Church is inescapable. There are more than 900 churches across the city. At first, they may seem old and dark – maybe even overly opulent. But sit with them a while — look closer— and this is what you’ll see centuries of devotion and purpose, worn wooden pews, shaped by generations of faithful hands (and yes— no padded kneelers), altars dedicated to beloved saints, often adorned with family tributes—especially to the Holy Family, amazing acoustics, irregular electric lighting, and real votive candles, not opulence, but sacred craftsmanship —master artists who believed their highest calling was to lift the soul to God and bring the scriptures to life. It all leaves you with a quiet awareness: You are part of something far older and far bigger than yourself.
Q: What did this teach you about leadership?
A: Leadership succession is a topic that fascinates many — especially those who’ve grown through leadership roles themselves. At some point, people begin to imagine what it would be like to be “the boss”— to sit in the big office, to be the one with final authority. But is that really what leadership is? All of us in positions of leadership understand the weight of responsibility. We are not just leading — we are stewarding a mission far bigger than ourselves. A legacy. A purpose. People and communities who had entrusted us with their care. Our role isn’t to command, but to carry on what came before — and to prepare the way for what will come next. In Rome, that truth felt even more vivid.
Each day, the energy in St. Peter’s Square built— Jubilee pilgrims, carabinieri, the Knights Templar, cardinals, global media and the faithful from every nation gathered near Castel Sant’Angelo and beneath the silent watch of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Catholic Church is built on community, it’s built on breaking bread at a table. This just demonstrates the Catholic Church is alive and strong.
The pope carries responsibility for 1.4 billion Catholics. He is called to hold the spiritual coherence of the global Church. To become the 267th successor to Peter. To embody and steward the mission of Jesus and the apostles. I can’t begin to comprehend the weight of that. Who could be ready? The only answer I know is this: No one is ready. But I trust that God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. For a full description of Annette and Chuck Walker’s pilgrimage, follow Annette M. Walker on LinkedIn.