The Niagara Catholic District School Board joins Catholic school boards in Ontario and Canada, and Catholic communities around the world, in praying for the repose of the soul of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at his home at the Vatican.
On March 13, 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 265th successor of Saint Peter. He was the first Jesuit priest to become pope and was the first pope born in South America. His chosen name, Francis, reflects his profound humility.
Pope Francis’s 12-year papacy was a testament to his deep sense of pastoral responsibility and of loving care for the world. He spoke frequently about courage, faithfulness, humanity, justice, and love.
Sensitive to the needs of the Church and the world, Pope Francis authored his first apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium in 2013 on the need for ongoing evangelization. In 2015, he published the encyclical, Laudato Si’, which called for the stewardship of our common home. In July 2022, the Holy Father travelled to Canada on a pilgrimage of penance, apologizing to Indigenous Peoples for the involvement of the Church in the residential schools’ program.
The Holy Father suffered from many health issues throughout his lifetime. Most recently, he spent five weeks in hospital with double pneumonia. Through God’s grace, he was able to return to his home, Casa Santa Marta. His last public appearance came hours before he died, offering an Easter blessing to the massive crowd gathered at St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, then travelling through crowd, blessing people as he went through.
We pray that he may find eternal rest in the loving arms of our risen Lord.
Pope Francis held individuals who were troubled or marginalized close to his heart. Niagara Catholic's Pope Francis Centre, which supports students in an alternative learning setting, is named in his honour. May his legacy of peace, mercy, compassion, and service, live within us all.
Our flags will fly at half-mast from Tuesday, April 22 until sundown on Monday, April 28, in Pope Francis's honour.
Eternal rest grant until him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.