Valerie Herrera, a 26-year-old from Illinois, told ABC News that Pope Francis “touched her heart” after she was involved in a notable interaction with the pontiff in 2015.

ABC News and “World News Tonight” held a historic town hall in 2015, where Pope Francis participated in a virtual audience with Americans from across the country, moderated by ABC News anchor David Muir.

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Pope Francis, at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major during his funeral, in Rome, Italy, April 26, 2025.

The groundbreaking event, held Aug. 31, 2015, marked the first time a pope had ever engaged in such direct dialogue with Americans through virtual technology.

The pope spoke for nearly an hour via satellite to groups including Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago; Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, Texas; and homeless individuals and outreach workers in Los Angeles.

Valerie Herrera was 17 when she shared her story with Pope Francis about struggling with a rare skin disorder and turning to music to cope with bullying. In a touching moment during the virtual town hall, the pope asked her to sing for him.

Valerie Herrera reflects on singing to Pope Francis at 2015 ABC News town hallValerie Herrera a 26-year-old from Illinois told ABC News that Pope Francis “touched her heart” after she was involved in a notable interaction with the pontiff in 2015.

As cheers filled the room at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago, Herrera sang a song of her choice, moving many in the audience. The pope thanked her with his characteristic warm smile.

Now 26 and working as a nurse outside Chicago, Herrera reflects on that transformative moment.

“When I think about Pope Francis, I remember his warming and welcoming smile when he asked me to sing for him,” Herrera told ABC News. “That’s the face I will always remember.”

Herrera detailed how the moment with the pontiff inspired her in her carrer and personal life, saying it “taught me to just to be more of a woman of faith that is here to serve others, that is here to provide care as a nurse.”

“I have the responsibility to care for those that are under my care. I have the responsibility to provide and give everything that I have in order to ensure that people are healing, people are getting better, and to provide the love and compassion that family members and patients really need in their time of weakness when they’re sick,” Herrera said.