Bishop offers Mass of the Dead for Holy Father

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
Following the Easter Octave, Bishop Walker Nickless offered a Mass for the Dead for Pope Francis on April 28 at the Sioux City Cathedral of the Epiphany.
 
A portrait of the Holy Father was in the sanctuary with black bunting draped around the frame, signifying the mourning following the death of the pope. Bunting was also draped over the main doorway leading into the Cathedral sanctuary.
 
In his opening greeting the bishop said he remembered meeting the Holy Father at a 2020 ad limina visit at the Vatican with his fellow midwestern bishops.
 
“He was warm and friendly and liked to talk,” Bishop Nickless said. “He said we could ask any question that we wanted.”
 
In his homily, the bishop noted all had gathered in the Cathedral that day to pray for the Holy Father “as we would for any other person who has died.”
 
“He needs our prayers and asked for them many times,” Bishop Nickless said.
 
He referenced the Gospel reading from John 3: 1-8 when Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wills and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
 
“I think of a sailor on a boat. He does not control from which direction the wind comes. The wind is like the Holy Spirit who blows through our lives. The Holy Spirit blows through the church as well,” he said. “I believe the Holy Spirit was moving through the church when a bishop from Argentina was elected the 266^th successor of St. Peter.”
 
The world and Catholics were still stunned by the unusual resignation of Pope Benedict XVI at the time Pope Francis was named, as that had not been done in centuries, the bishop said, noting that most popes die while in office.
 
“Pope Francis, like all popes, has left a legacy for the church. As his years of his papacy unfolded, he surprised us in many ways. He didn’t act like other popes. He was full of surprises,” Bishop Nickless said, noting some liked his ministry style while others did not.
 
Pope Francis’ first encyclical, The Joy of the Gospel, stood out to the bishop as a way for the Holy Father to remind the faithful of the value of the Scriptures.
 
“The pope reminded us of the importance of the Gospel – sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the whole world,” Bishop Nickless pointed out. “Each of us has a part in proclaiming the good news both in words and action.”
 
In the encyclical, the bishop said the Holy Father left us “great words,” that Christ loves his people and gave his life for our salvation and journeys with us.
 
Pope Francis was widely known for sharing that love of Christ with those on the margins of society, including the poor, homeless and forgotten, the bishop stressed.
 
“He constantly looked out for those who everyone else seemed to overlook. He reminded them, ‘Jesus Christ loves you,” Bishop Nickless said.
 
The bishop asked that all keep the Holy Father in their prayers and to remember his good works on earth.
 
“Let’s remember Francis’ smile and simple wave. Even in his pain and suffering, you could still see his joy. The joy of the Gospel alive in his heart. May we follow that example and bring peace and joy to all those we meet. Thank you, Pope Francis. May you rest in peace,” Bishop Nickless concluded his homily.
 
The papal conclave is set to begin May 7 at the Vatican to select the next bishop of Rome and pope.

HOME