Pope Francis Requiem Mass

The Basilica of Saint Mary will celebrate a Requiem Mass in remembrance of the Holy Father, Pope Francis on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Noon, presided by Fr. Joseph Gillespie, O.P.

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The Basilica of Saint Mary community expresses our profound sadness at the death of Pope Francis. We also express our prayers for the repose of the soul of Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis) and for the Catholic Church and its leaders who will gather to mourn the death of Pope Francis, celebrate his amazing life, and choose Francis’s successor. Having greeted those who attended Holy Week and Easter services, it is profound that Pope Francis died on Easter Monday where we celebrate the gift of new life in Jesus Christ.

Pope Francis captivated the world when he was elected pope in March of 2013. Francis’s simplicity of life, exhortation to go out to the peripheries in service to those in need, message of God’s inclusive love, and courage in challenging behaviors and actions deleterious to the poor will leave a lasting impact on our world. Pope Francis was also a man of peace who transcended barriers and divisions and sowed seeds of justice and concord. In faith, we are assured that his good deeds go with him to the Lord of life.

As a basilica generally and as America’s first basilica specifically, The Basilica of Saint Mary enjoys a special closeness to the pope. Pope Francis was beloved by the community of The Basilica and inspired by his message of God’s inclusive welcome and embrace – a message we integrate into our liturgies and parish life. As the world, Catholics, and all people of good will prepare to say farewell to Pope Francis, may we collectively take up his vital work of building a more just, humane, and peaceful world.

Father Daniel Griffith, Pastor and Rector

The Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis

The Basilica is open every day for private prayer and will have a memorial for Pope Francis.

10 Years On: The Ministry and Witness of Pope Francis
Reflection from Fr. Daniel Griffith, Pastor
Mar 11, 2023