Bishop Gregory Parkes will attend the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26th where he will join the global community in praying for Pope Francis and paying his respects to the leader of the universal Catholic Church. Bishop Parkes studied in Rome from 1996 to 2000. He studied at the Pontifical North American College (a Catholic seminary) and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he received a Graduate Bachelor of Theology degree in 1998 and a Licentiate in Canon Law in 2000. Before his ordination to the priesthood in 1999, he was ordained a deacon at St. Peter’s Basilica in 1998.

Also, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis is Father Ralph D’Elia, a priest of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Father Ralph attended the procession at the Vatican on April 23^rd as the mortal remains of Pope Francis were transferred from the Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica, where his body will lie in state so the faithful may pay their respects until his funeral on Saturday. Father D’Elia also studied to become a priest in Rome at the Pontifical North American College. He was ordained a deacon in 2018 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and in 2019, he was ordained a priest in St. Petersburg. He currently serves as the chaplain for St. Petersburg Catholic High School and Director of Episcopal Ceremonies for the Diocese of Saint Petersburg.

Local Catholics Continue to Pray for Pope Francis

Catholic churches in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg will offer Mass on Saturday, April 26th as they always do. Churches normally offer a morning Mass on Saturdays, as well as an evening Vigil Mass in anticipation of Sunday. Pope Francis will be remembered in prayer on this day in a special way at all local churches. Local Catholic churches are continuing to pray for and mourn the death of Pope Francis. Special prayers relating to Pope Francis are said each day in local churches. Many parishes display black bunting around the exterior doors of the church and many churches and schools display a portrait of the late Holy Father surrounded by black bunting, candles, and other symbols of prayer. This weekend, churchgoers will likely see these gestures and symbols of respect for Pope Francis.