Suburban church honors Pope Francis with bi-lingual Holy Hour, Requiem Mass
DES PLAINES, Ill. – In the northwest suburbs, Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is hosting a Holy Hour and Requiem Mass in remembrance of Pope Francis.
A mountain of flowers from Easter Sunday was being made bigger by people stopping by to now bring flowers in memory of the pontiff.
Several people WGN-TV spoke with said they felt a special connection to the Pope, not just because he was the leader of the Catholic Church, but because he was the first Pope to share their culture.
Pope Francis dies at 88
'Like all holy fathers, whether they're from Italy, Poland, Germany, they bring their experience, their culture, their concerns. Pope Francis did, especially his experience with the poor. He spent most of his life dealing with issues of poverty and the machinations of the power that cause poverty,' Rev. Esequiel Sanchez said.
Sanchez added in the wake of the Pope's passing, Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is hosting a bi-lingual English and Spanish Holy Hour and Requiem Mass.
'Tonight, as people come and as you see them coming, there is a grieving going but it's a grieving of family,' Sanchez said.
From the Northwest Suburbs to the city's South Side, Catholics told WGN-TV they are remembering the Pope's legacy as one of progress for his stances on immigration, divorce and LGBTQ inclusion.
Photos: Pope Francis through the years
'I was very saddened because I was really hoping he would have more years left, because his voice is so particularly what's going on in this country and what's going in the world right now,' Fr. Michael Pfleger said.
Pfleger is calling on Catholics to lean on their faith in this time of mourning and live by the teachings of Pope Francis.
'We need a voice like Francis now more than ever,' Pfleger said.
The Holy Hour began at 6 p.m. where church leadership led worshipers through prayer of the Rosary. Mass begins at 7 p.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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