A Memorial Mass for Pope Francis will be held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington on this Saturday April 26, at 12:10 p.m. The Mass will be celebrated by Father Joseph McHenry, a parochial vicar at the cathedral. All are welcome to attend that Mass at the cathedral, which is located at 1725 Rhode Island Ave., N.W., near the Farragut North Station on Metro’s Red Line.
The St. Anthony Chapel at St. Matthew’s is featuring a shrine dedicated to Pope Francis — a space for prayer and reflection. People are invited to stop by and pick up a prayer card and brochure to offer prayers for the Holy Father. Before leaving the cathedral, people can sign the Condolence Book there as a gesture of remembrance to Pope Francis.
After Pope Francis died on April 21, Msgr. W. Ronald Jameson, the rector of the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, issued the following statement:
“It is with deep sadness that we learn of the death of Pope Francis. Whenever a pope dies, we Catholics feel a kind of collective shudder; we feel we have lost a father, a leader. This is certainly true in the case of Pope Francis. This extraordinary man has left an indelible mark not only on the Church and her millions of members, but on the entire world. His vision, his energy, his profound love for the Church, his commitment to peace, and to the plight of the poor and marginalized, make him one of history’s most beloved and memorable pontiffs.
“At the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, we were privileged to host His Holiness when he met with all of the U.S. bishops here on Sept. 23, 2015, during his papal visit to the United States. Anyone who witnessed the huge, enthusiastic crowds that followed him during his visit here will never forget the pope’s warmth, and the flood of feeling from the people. I was privileged to welcome him and accompany him here at the Cathedral. We will all remember that day.
“Catholics throughout the world truly loved Pope Francis, and I know that all today join together to pray for the happy repose of his soul.”
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will celebrate a special Mass of Thanksgiving for the life of Pope Francis on Saturday, April 26, at 4:30 p.m. in the Great Upper Church, on the same day of the funeral of the late Holy Father. All are invited to attend the Mass to pray for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul, to offer thanksgiving for his life and ministry as successor of St. Peter, and to reflect upon Divine Mercy, a message so central to the late pontiff.
In a statement, Msgr. Walter Rossi, the basilica’s rector, said, “we join the world in sadness at the news of the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis. We also join in the chorus of prayers for his eternal rest. In a particular way, we at Mary’s Shrine are saddened because we knew the Holy Father personally. As the first pontiff from the Americas, the Holy Father himself came on pilgrimage to the basilica in 2015 to canonize Fray Junípero Serra, marking the first canonization on United States soil. His visit left a lasting impact upon us at Mary’s Shrine, this city of Washington D.C., and this nation.”
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the Mass of Thanksgiving for Pope Francis on April 26 at the National Shrine. The Mass will rather fittingly be celebrated as the Vigil Mass of Divine Mercy Sunday. As Pope, Francis continually spoke of God’s abundant mercy, as evident in his 2015 homily at the basilica where he urged “go out to proclaim the merciful embrace of the Father.”
For those unable to attend in person, the Mass will be livestreamed at www.nationalshrine.org/mass.
Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a Memorial Mass was held that day at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception celebrated by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States. The concelebrants at the Mass include Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the archbishop of Washington; and Cardinal Wilton Gregory and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishops emeritus of Washington.
Link to article on April 21 Memorial Mass for Pope Francis:
