Western New York Catholics attend Pope Francis' funeral
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — In a weekend marked by reverence and reflection, Catholics from around the world gathered in St. Peter's Square to bid farewell to Pope Francis, who died earlier this month at the age of 88. Among the hundreds of thousands in attendance were several dozen pilgrims from the Diocese of Buffalo, whose journey to the Vatican took a profoundly unexpected turn.
Originally in Rome to witness the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis — poised to become the first millennial saint in the Catholic Church — the group found themselves instead participating in the funeral mass for the late pontiff. Despite the change in plans, members of the group described the experience as deeply moving and spiritually purposeful.
'We were pilgrims, not tourists,' said Father Leon Biernat of St. Gregory the Great Parish, who has been leading the group through Rome and surrounding cities. 'Pilgrims are meant to be here to experience this and that's exactly what happened.'
The trip, planned since July, was organized around the life and legacy of Acutis, a young Italian Catholic known for his devotion to the Eucharist and use of technology to spread the faith. His canonization, originally expected to be presided over by Pope Francis this month, was postponed following the pope's death.
'A lot of the young church was really excited for this canonization,' said Kyle Lucey, one of the pilgrims. 'A lot of us look up to Carlo as a pillar in the young church.'
Despite the shift in focus, group members said the spiritual depth of the experience was undeniable. Lucey and fellow pilgrim Gregory James recalled waking up before dawn on Saturday to secure a place in St. Peter's Square for the funeral Mass, joining over 250,000 others in a moment of global communion.
'One of the highlights was seeing 250,000 people partaking in the Eucharist together,' Lucey said. 'It was a beautiful thing.'
'The whole square went quiet, and you could sense that reverence,' James said.
Just a day earlier, the group had walked through the Sistine Chapel — a poignant moment as the conclave to elect the next pope approaches.
'There was definitely a mix of emotions,' Lucey said. 'We were aware that soon, the heads of our church will gather in this space to choose the successor to the seat of Peter.'
Despite their solemnity, the group described a sense of joy and unity throughout their time in Rome, pointing to public expressions of gratitude and hope from mourners.
'To be among the people who were present to pray our Holy Father into heaven — there was great joy in that,' James said.
'People were applauding, cheering, singing,' Biernat said. 'From balconies and buildings, banners were unfurled reading 'Grazie.' It felt like a celebration of a life well lived, people knew he had done what he was called to do.'
The canonization of Acutis will be rescheduled following the election of the next pope. The papal conclave, during which cardinals from around the world will choose the new pontiff, is set to begin on May 7.
Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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