What began as a faith-filled Jubilee pilgrimage with the Archdiocese of New York turned into an unforgettable news assignment for Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum. While in Rome with Cardinal Timothy Dolan and fellow pilgrims, MacCallum found herself unexpectedly reporting on one of the most significant global stories of the year: the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.

“Well, I was coming anyway on this pilgrimage with Cardinal Dolan and this wonderful group of people who serve on boards for the archdiocese,” MacCallum said during an interview in Rome with The Good Newsroom. “And then right before we left, we learned that Pope Francis had passed on Easter Monday morning.”

The convergence of her roles — pilgrim and journalist — created a deeply personal and professional experience. “It has added an element to it and made it really such an honor,” she said. “I think we’ll never forget this week, as long as we live.”

The pilgrimage itinerary included visits to the four major basilicas in Rome: Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. John Lateran. At Mary Major, the pilgrims paid their respects at the tomb of Pope Francis.

“We went to Mary Major where Pope Francis is buried,” MacCallum said. “And the church that he loved so much and went to before and after every journey.”

Despite her spiritual focus, MacCallum was quickly called upon to pivot into reporter mode. She covered the Pope’s funeral for Fox News alongside an international press corps, capturing the emotion and historical gravity of the moment.

“Layering on top of it the unexpected work commitments of covering the funeral for Pope Francis — it was extraordinary,” she said. “The sounds, the bells, the city… it was a very, very moving day for all of us.”

MacCallum’s reflections on the significance of the event offered insight into why the death of a pope continues to draw immense global media attention — even from outlets not typically focused on religious stories.

“I think it’s the oldest surviving institution in the world, and it has had such an impact over the course of history,” she explained. “You look at what it has survived — world wars, the fall of empires — the Catholic Church is still there.”

That historical weight was on full display during the funeral, which drew world leaders from across the globe.

“Every significant world leader across the entire span of history has come to the Vatican for one reason or another,” she said. “The significance of the Pope, of the papacy and the Church is just part of our history. So that’s why it is absolutely a major news event that should always be covered.”

MacCallum also spoke about the deeper cultural and moral resonance of the Church in the Western tradition, particularly in the foundations of civil society.

“You think about the fact that Judeo-Christian grounding is really what has… it’s the foundation of so many government documents,” she said. “You have a separation of church and state, but the foundations of those virtues and values… are really what everything from the Mayflower Compact on has some sort of grounding in, in the Bible.”

As she returned to the United States, MacCallum described the experience as one she would never forget, professionally and personally.

“Honestly, I should just pinch myself,” she said. “Just being here is really an incredible experience.”