'Praying for the Soul of the Pope': Special Mass held for Pope Francis at Denver's Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
- Sheryl Tirol
- Apr 27
- 4 min read
Updated: May 4
A special Mass was held Saturday afternoon at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver to pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis. Father Samuel Morehead, rector of the Cathedral Basilica, presided over the Mass. He reminded people that rites such as a funeral Mass can help Catholics around the world feel connected to one another and to the Church’s mission.
“In this moment of worldwide mourning, and with the confusion or sorrow that might come from any death, the Church provides us with a means of access to God's grace in her funeral rites and in every celebration of the Mass,” he said.
He added the importance of community in this time of grieving.
“At once, we can pray for the soul of the pope, as we can also pray for ourselves, the world and the Church in a time of transition. The celebration of Mass, praying with the various rites of the Church, and coming together in faith all put us in communion with God and each other in a time of need.”
Father Morehead also reflected on how the pope influenced the local Denver and Colorado communities.
“Pope Francis was, at his best, a conversation starter. He got us starting new conversations about God, ourselves and the necessary place of the Catholic faith in the modern world.”
During his homily, Father Morehead said the passing of Pope Francis is a powerful reminder of the universal nature of the Catholic Church. As people from around the world gather in Rome to honor the pope’s life and legacy, including cardinals arriving from far-flung countries, some represented for the first time, the global unity of the Church is made visible. Father Morehead said he feels proud to be Catholic and a priest when witnessing the faith’s true unity across the world. Locally, he said he feels blessed to lead the Cathedral Basilica in an increasingly diverse and international Denver, where he often sees this same dynamic reflected.
“From Rome to Denver, it is beautiful to see the multifaceted expanse of the Church brought together in unity as the one Body of Christ, the family of God, able to overcome so many otherwise painful divisions,” he said.
(Photo by Rebecca Slezak)
Retired Denver Archbishop, Cardinal James Francis Stafford, Father Juan Adrian Hernandez, Parochial Vicar of Holy Cross Parish in Thornton and chaplain of the Frassati Catholic Academy, also joined Father Morehead during the Mass.
Many from around the Denver metro area and beyond attended today’s Mass. Holly Hoffmann, a PhD student in formative education at Boston College, was in Downtown Denver for a conference when she heard about the Mass and found time in between conference sessions to come to the Cathedral Basilica.
“As a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition, I wanted to come and pray with the Church today for Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope. I was moved especially by the message within the homily that the hope of this Jubilee Year could be expressed and experienced by all of us by being a loving, listening ear to one another,” Hoffman said.
Yubi Umila Bond and her husband, Kyrique, attended the Mass to honor the late pope. Bond, who grew up Catholic but had not been attending Mass regularly, said they wanted to pay their respects and pray for Pope Francis after hearing about the event.
“I’m so grateful my husband and I were invited and attended today’s Mass. The service was beautiful! The cathedral was packed with people, all who were reminded of the hope we have in the future and how the faith of ordinary people can make an impact in the lives of others,” Umila Bond said.
Kyrique, her husband, also felt he wanted to pray for the pope in a special way.
“We didn’t know about the service and showed up — it was a surprise to our day. It was great camaraderie, giving honor to someone who did great work in Christ. We are non-denominational Christians who see the Church as one body and enjoyed giving him honor,” he said.
Reilly DeMara felt moved remembering how loving the pope was towards everyone.
“He was very hopeful, very open in trying to welcome into the Church, and it was really beautiful,” she said.
Father Morehead said he often found comfort and inspiration in the simple, straightforward teachings of Pope Francis. He recalled rejoicing whenever the late pope issued documents or homilies reaffirming the basic and enduring truths of the Catholic faith. One moment that especially moved him was when Pope Francis spoke gently about the importance of grandmothers praying the Rosary and passing the faith on to their grandchildren, a message that Father Morehead said brought him deep consolation.
He encouraged parishioners to respond to the passing of Pope Francis with both human emotion and divine faith. He said it is natural and necessary to grieve the loss of a beloved leader, and that it is important to allow space for sorrow. At the same time, he urged the faithful to trust in God’s greater work, praying for the purification of the pope’s soul and entrusting the Church and the world to the Holy Spirit, who, he said, always leads with perfect love.
Father Morehead shared how he will remember Pope Francis’ legacy, highlighting the lasting impact the pope had on his years of ministry.
“Although I was ordained a priest in the last years of Pope Benedict's papacy, the vast majority of my priesthood has been lived and served during the time of Pope Francis. I will remember fondest his first encyclical on faith, the Year of Mercy and his poignant writings on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
He also encouraged parishioners to pray for the future of the Church and the cardinals who will be voting in the conclave as they choose a new pope.
In the wake of Pope Francis’s passing, Father Morehead emphasized his hope that the Church will carry forward the late pope’s legacy of listening with compassion and responding with love.
“We must strive to meaningfully listen to others, in all of the varied circumstances and experiences of their very different lives,” he said. By doing so, he added, Catholics can humbly call upon God’s help and, with a spirit of charity, “courageously and joyfully speak a word of Christ into others’ lives” in a way that is both personal and transformative.
