The community of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi mourns the passing of Pope Francis with great sadness, but also with great love and appreciation for his courageous and prophetic leadership. Upon his election, he took the name of our Seraphic Father and patron, St. Francis of Assisi, desiring to imitate the Saint’s humility, service, commitment to the poor and marginalized, the earth, and all God’s creatures. It is now our turn to carry on his legacy with that same courage, and to commit to blanketing the earth with the love, mercy, and compassion of Christ which Pope Francis so profoundly modeled for us.
“From the certainty that God’s grace is with us comes the strength to take courage in the present moment: the courage to carry forward what God asks of us here and now, in every area of our lives; courage to embrace the vocation which God reveals to us; courage to live out our faith without hiding or diminishing it.” Pope Francis
A memorial Mass for Pope Francis is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23 at 5:30 PM.