While we continue to celebrate Easter we mourn the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. While sad, his passing is certainly timely. Christ rose from the dead precisely to ensure that death is not the end for those who pass away. Pope Francis entrusted his whole life to the Risen Christ, and so with confidence we pray that we will see him again. May God have mercy on his soul and reward him for his many labors as vicar of Christ.
With the death of Pope Francis the Church enters a period of prayer for him. His funeral Mass will take place on Saturday April 26th. Starting after his funeral Mass, from April 26th to May 4th, the Church throughout the world will enter the Novendiales, the official nine days of mourning for him. The funeral, rites, and other procedures follows the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the Vatican’s official liturgical text for papal funerals. Pope Francis updated it in 2024.
The Church especially encourages the custom of praying for the repose of late Pope's soul with the recitation of the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be to the Father and the Holy Rosary. Every day during the Novendiales, church bells may ring (88 times for every year of the late Pope's life, or even 12 times for every year of his pontificate). The Cathedral will ring its bells 88 times beginning at 11:30 a.m. each day during the novendiales, as will St. Teresa Parish. We will pray at Mass: That Pope Francis, who served the Church as Supreme Pontiff for twelve years, may worship God forever in the liturgy of Heaven, we pray to the Lord.
This weekend is Divine Mercy Sunday. It is also our missionary appeal weekend. It is a chance for us to help a religious order evangelizing in the wider world. This year we welcome the Holy Spirit Sisters of Tanzania. You will hear more about the sisters important work this weekend. Please pray for them and for their mission.
We pray for the Holy Father and for the whole Church, that God sends us another shepherd to lead us.