05/01/2026
On April 21, the one-year anniversary of the passing of Pope Francis, Noel Díaz, founder of El Sembrador Nueva Evangelización (ESNE), gave a special presentation at the Diocesan Pastoral Center (DPC) about his more than a decade-long friendship with Pope Francis. Díaz’ talk was followed by a Memorial Mass for Pope Francis.
“It’s hard to know he’s no longer here,” Díaz began.
Díaz recalled one of his first encounters with the pope, when he got to shine Pope Francis’ shoes. Díaz explained to the Holy Father that as a child of a poor family, he had to shine shoes to earn enough money to purchase a new shirt and pants so that he could receive his First Holy Communion. Moved by his story, Pope Francis allowed Díaz to shine his shoes.
In the following months, Díaz shared that Pope Francis reached out to him saying,” I can’t forget your grand gesture... and I encourage you to encourage others to come out of their case,” meaning to go out and bring the message of Jesus to others.
This encounter led to a lasting friendship between Díaz and Pope Francis. Díaz had the opportunity to interview Pope Francis twice, once in 2017 and again in 2021.
During their last interaction before Pope Francis’ passing, at the end of November 2024, Pope Francis gifted Díaz a pair of his shoes, which Díaz brought for his talk at the DPC.
“He jokingly asked me if I was going to shine his shoes again,” Díaz said. “I jokingly responded that I didn’t have my [shoeshine] box but if he gave me his shoes, that I would shine them and give them back to him.” Pope Francis told Díaz that he had a pair of shoes that he could have and to come back in a couple of days to get them.
During this last meeting, Díaz also had the opportunity to tell the pope about El Sembrador’s new “I am the 73RD”, a 33-day preparation for consecration to Jesus Christ project. Pope Francis predicted that it would bring much good for the Church and encouraged Díaz to continue the project and granted his apostolic blessing.
Diaz’s ESNE Radio is a Spanish-language Catholic radio network that broadcasts in over 15 countries. Diaz recognized the Diocese of San Bernardino, +Auxiliary Bishop Dennis P. O’Neil, and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Barnes as some of his ministry’s earliest supporters.