Dear Folks,

Yes, we still have the picture of Pope Francis displayed, with candles burning as a reminder to pray for the repose of his soul. Prayer and sacrifice for our loved ones does not end with the funeral Mass!

For a deceased pope, there is a long-standing tradition called the Novemdiales—a nine-day mourning period during which nine Masses are offered for the late pope. The funeral is the first of these nine, which means that today (Sunday, May 4th) marks the ninth and final day of these Masses in Rome.

Because all of our parish Mass intentions have already been claimed, we were unable to offer a daily Mass for him here. That’s why we’ve been including a special prayer for Pope Francis at the end of every Mass since his passing. This brings to mind the passing of my own mother, for whom I was blessed to offer a Mass every day for a month. But please don’t try to compare the nine Masses for the pope to the thirty for my mom! Pope Francis is being remembered at altars all over the world—very likely by every priest—so he is certainly not lacking prayers!

This also explains why the conclave to elect the new pope has not yet begun. As the Church, we first devote ourselves to praying for Pope Francis, before turning to the Lord to ask, “What is next?” Because the prayer we’ve been offering includes intentions both for the late Holy Father and for the conclave, we will continue praying it until a new pope is elected.

The conclave begins this Wednesday, May 7th! Keep your eyes on the smoke rising from the Vatican chimney—and listen for the joyful peal of bells!

pax,

Father John Mosimann