Saturday, July 19, 2025
The parishioners of St. Agnes Cathedral of Rockville Center were deeply moved as they mourned the death of beloved Pope Francis together.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at age 88 after serving as pope since 2013. At the April 28 memorial service, the bishop, the Most Reverend John O. Barres, gave a homily in his honor and the parishioners sang along to hymns of prayer and mourning.
Luz Batres stood outside of the cathedral after the service to witness the magnificence of the church leaders welcoming parishioners back to the world outside. She had just attended the service, but wanted to get a unique angle on the exit.
“It’s so sad,” Batres said. “He was a very good person. He wanted the best for people. He prayed for peace. That’s what we need, peace inside of us and peace in the world.”
Batres had tears in her eyes as she reflected on the service.
“It was so pretty,” Batres said.
Pope Francis was an avid advocate for environmental justice, social equality and respect for all. He celebrated these qualities during his life, since the moment he was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969.
He was significantly progressive, compared to both his predecessors and those in the church who spoke out against his acceptance of several marginalized groups. He came from outside of Europe, the first pope to do so in centuries.
“It’s definitely a sad moment for our church, considering all the progress that his leadership gave the church, sending us in a new direction,” Angie Phelan, who attended the service, said.
One comfort the parishioners found in the service was the operatic choir. They sang hymns such as “Abide with Me,” “Agnus Dei” and “Pie Jesu.”
“They did a beautiful job,” Phelan said. “And the choir was amazing.”
The homily focused on the Catholic social justice that Pope Francis worked on throughout his life, especially as pope. Barres said he considered the holy family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus to be refugees.
The theme of the homily was the freshness of the gospel — both its freshness when it was first given to the people, and how Pope Francis brought in new freshness as he moved the church toward the future.
“I thought it was absolutely beautiful,” Maureen Miedreich, another attendee, said. “Very reverent. The bishop spoke wonderfully about Pope Francis and the good things that he did for the church.”
At one point during the service, the parishioners and visitors were asked to give each other the sign of peace. Some hugged, some kissed, but most held up the two fingers of the peace sign.
Raissa Silva isn’t from Rockville Center, but she found comfort in being able to mourn with the locals who welcomed her.
“I feel very, very sad,” Silva said. “I feel very soon we’ll call him to pray for us and this makes me feel less sad. I loved him so much. He was an inspiration.”
