WACO, Texas (KXXV) — In February, 25 News' Allison Hill visited Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Waco to speak with parishioners after Pope Francis first fell ill.
At the time, many reflected on the uncertainty surrounding his health.
"Obviously, when you are dealing with health, there’s a lot of questions about death – that’s always a very, very negative and scary scenario – but I think at this point, you are going to practice your faith," one parishioner said.
"This is a jubilee year, so it’s a big deal – that he’s around and able to celebrate that with the rest of the faith," another parishioner added.
"His holiness is more important to us than anything else," Olga Pantoja, a parishioner, said.
Now, nearly a week after the world woke up to the news of Pope Francis’ passing, Hill returned to Sacred Heart once again – this time on the first Sunday without him.
"I wake up and I turn on the television and the first thing I see is the pope passed. Very sad… It’s extremely sad. It’s a very sad time for our Catholic community," Pantoja said.
As Catholics near and far felt his absence Sunday morning, parishioners at Sacred Heart spent time remembering the man they admired and the lives he touched.
"He was the people’s pope. He was very humble. He led with humility, with sympathy, with compassion. He loved people," Pantoja said.
Pope Francis, who was head of the Catholic Church for more than a decade, a spiritual leader to more than 1.3 billion people, and a figure whose political and moral influence reached across the globe, has now been laid to rest.
Still, Olga said his life, lessons and legacy will continue to inspire.
"Pope Francis said he’d like to be remembered as the poor, humble servant that God had mercy on. It just speaks to the kind of person he was," she said.
The funeral for Pope Francis was held Saturday. The secret conclave, where eligible cardinals from around the world will gather in Rome to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church, will soon begin. Traditionally, this sacred process takes place 15 to 20 days after a pope's passing.
