St. Petersburg churches, parishioners honor Pope Francis

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Many churches are closed on Easter Monday after celebrating Holy Week.

But the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle opened its doors to honor Pope Francis.

A special mass was dedicated to Pope Francis, who died Monday at 88.

Even though he had been sick, the pontiff’s passing still caught parishioners off guard.

“I was surprised because he seemed so well when he was speaking (Sunday). But I knew that he was very sick, and we were all praying that he would go away peacefully,” said parishioner Myriam Larkin.

The Rev. Monsignor Robert Gibbons of St. Paul’s Catholic Church said at first he didn’t believe the news of Pope Francis’ death. The pontiff was on the St. Peter’s balcony on Sunday giving the Easter blessing.

“I thought it was wonderful that he was able to enjoy Easter on this earth with the people whom he had with such dedication served,” Gibbons said.

Gibbons said the pope’s legacy includes caring for the environment and being inclusive.

“He leaves a big legacy, and some of the things that come to mind was from the very start, he said we needed to be a church for the poor,” Gibbons said.

Parishioners at St. Jude the Apostle paid their respects by praying in front of a photo of Pope Francis after mass.

“He will always be basically the best pope for me,” Larkin said. “He was Latino, He was a Jesuit. He lived the word of God by his actions in terms of how he treated people.”

Many churches rang their bells for one minute at 3 p.m. Monday in memory of Pope Francis. That is the time recognized by the Catholic church as the hour of divine mercy.

Bishop Gregory Parks with the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg will attend Pope Francis’ funeral.