By Katie Vasquez
The pews were filled with mourning parishioners at St Bartholomew Church in Elmhurst, Queens on the evening of April 25.
Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan led the Mass of Repose for Pope Francis in the Diocese of Brooklyn, and said the diverse congregation represented a grieving, universal church.
“One of the things that’s so beautiful about this part of the diocese here in Queens is, in a sense, the whole world is here. The whole world is here,” said Bishop Brennan.
Bishop Brennan highlighted how the holy father was a light for Catholics across the globe to follow, even to his last breath.
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“Thinking about him on Easter Sunday morning. He was a pilgrim of hope, right to the bitter end. He was a pilgrim right to that encounter with the risen lord Jesus,” said Bishop Brennan.
But the pope had already inspired many in St. Bartholomew’s pews, like Kresentia Silaban, who is part of the diocese of Brooklyn’s Indonesian apostolate.
“He inspired me to love the poor, and to accept everybody the same. and then to taking care for creation,” said Silaban, a parishioner at St. Helen Church in the Diocese.
Seventeen-year-old Priscilla Lozano said Pope Francis is all she’s ever known, and he’s been a role model for the young Catholic.
“I mean, I was really young when he came into his papacy, but, to me, he’s kind of like who everybody would strive to be,” said Lozano, a parishioner at St Bartholomew Church.
The Heanues’ prayed for the late pontiff while remembering their special encounter with him in Rome with their son, Father Christopher Heanue, the rector of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.
“As he was going by, Father Christopher said his parents were here, and he went and stopped and spoke for a minute. You know, gave us a blessing, for our 50th anniversary,” said Kathleen and Martin Heanue, parishioners of St. Mary Winfield Church.
No matter how the Holy Father touched their lives, the Brooklyn shepherd said his flock was honoring the pope in exactly the way he would’ve wanted.
“He always said, you know, please pray for me. Don’t forget to pray for me. And that’s what we did. We came together more than any other night, we came together to pray for him,” said Bishop Brennan.
And the faithful plan to continue those prayers as many churches around the diocese will hold their own mass of repose, including one for the youth on April 30.