Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh holding special Mass in remembrance of Pope Francis
Pope Francis
following his death early on this Easter Monday.
Bishop David Zubik will preside over the Mass at 7 p.m. at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland.
The Vatican announced
Pope Francis, 88, died around 7:30 a.m. local time, one day after he briefly appeared in St. Peter's Square to
bless worshippers
on Easter Sunday.
Bishop Zubik is encouraging all pastors across the Diocese of Pittsburgh to celebrate Masses for the late pope, and to include special intentions during the Prayer of the Faithful throughout the coming days.
"We are experiencing this loss as a family," said Bishop Zubik. "And as a family would, we need to come together, to be together, and to pray together."
Bishop Zubik met with and had personal interactions with Pope Francis over the years. He said he last saw the pope in person on Thanksgiving Day of 2019 during a bishops conference in Rome.
"On the occasions I had the privilege of being in the presence of the Holy Father during visits to the Vatican, what struck me most was not just the dignity of his office, but the warmth of his heart," Bishop Zubik said in a statement. "His attention to each person, his gentle spirit, and his genuine kindness left a lasting impression on me and so many others. He was a shepherd who smelled like his sheep-and the world is better for it."
KDKA Morning Anchors David Highfield and Erica Mokay spoke with Bishop Zubik early Monday morning.
"I think today, most important of all, we need to be able to pray for him," Bishop Zubik said. "It's our tradition as Catholics to be able to pray for those who have passed, and we do so with a great deal of gratitude in our hearts for all that he did as such a beautiful pastor of the [Catholic] Church throughout the world."
Pittsburgh-area leaders have
offered tributes
as well. Gov. Josh Shapiro said, "He leaves a legacy of being a fighter for the defenseless — a teaching we should all learn from."
Tributes
praising Pope Francis' leadership and devotion
quickly began to pour in from around the world.
Pope Francis had experienced a number of health issues in recent years. He spent
five weeks
in the
hospital
in February and March 2025 with bronchitis that developed into
pneumonia
in both lungs. He marked the
12th anniversary of his papacy
from his hospital room.
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