Pope Francis In Memoriam
Diocesan News and Events
Mass of Suffrage for the Repose of the Soul of Pope Francis
A Mass of Suffrage for the Repose of the Soul of Pope Francis will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 23 at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw. The Suffrage Mass is a particular type of Votive Mass in which one or more Catholic baptized believers ask the celebrating priest to offer a Mass to God in favor of the salvation of one or more souls temporarily living in Purgatory.
Other Masses:
6 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 - St. Agnes Parish of Freeland
6:30 p.m. Tuesday April 22 - St. Mary University Parish of Mt. Pleasant
Noon, Wednesday, April 23 - St. John Vianney Parish of Saginaw
6 p.m. Wednesday, April 23 - Blessed Sacrament Parish of Midland
8 a.m. Thursday, April 24 - Sacred Heart Parish of Mount Pleasant
7 p.m. Thursday, April 24 - Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish - St. Stanislaus Church, Bay City
12 Noon Tuesday, April 29 - Sacred Heart Parish of Mount Pleasant
6 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 - St. Gabriel Parish of Auburn
7 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 - St. Francis of Assisi Parish of Saginaw
Related News/Photos
WJRT ABC-12 (April 21, 2025): 'We adore him': Mid-Michigan remembers Pope Francis
Statement from Bishop Gruss on the Death of Pope Francis
Bishop Gruss' reflection after meeting Pope Francis in 2019
Photo Gallery from Bishop Gruss' meeting with Pope Francis in 2019
WNEM (April 21, 2025): Mid-Michigan dioceses remembering legacy of Pope Francis
Prayer for a deceased Pope
God, Who, in Your ineffable providence, did will that Your servant, Pope Francis, should be numbered among the high priests, grant, we beseech You, that he, who on earth held the place of Your only-begotten Son, may be joined forevermore to the fellowship of Your holy pontiffs.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
265th Successor to St. Peter
On March 13, 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, archbishop of Buenos Aires was elected in the conclave to become the first pope from the Americas. As the 265th successor to Saint Peter, he was the first pope to take the name of Francis, a name chosen in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi because he wanted “a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security." (Evangelii Gaudium, 49). Read his full biography on the on the Vatican website.
Coat of Arms
Pope Francis’ motto on his coat of arms, “miserando atque eligendo” is taken from a homily by Saint Bede, an English eighth-century Christian writer and doctor of the Church of the Gospel account of the call of Saint Matthew. It roughly translates to “having mercy, he called him.” Read more on the Vatican's website.
Focuses of his papacy
Migrants and Refugees
Pope Francis has always had a deep love for migrants and refugees. One of his first papal visits was to the island of Lampedusa where he celebrated a penitential Mass to mourn migrants lost at sea.
Care for Creation
Pope Francis released Laudato Sí in 2015. This encyclical was the first ever written by a Pope on the subject of the environment.
Mercy and Forgiveness
Pope Francis called for an extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, highlighting that God is never far from those who seek him.