Worshipers at the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Germantown – a site elevated to Minor Basilica status through a papal decree in 2022 – gathered to mourn the loss of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. 

The 266th pope of the Catholic Church, known for his progressive stances and support for marginalized communities, died on April 21 at age 88. The Vatican announced Francis’ death early in the morning with a message from Holy See official Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Farrell said. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.” Farrell will take charge of the Vatican until a new pope is chosen. 

Catholic communities in Northwest Philadelphia joined millions of mourners across the globe who honored Francis’ legacy. Worshippers at the Basilica Shrine expressed their surprise after seeing Pope Francis make a public appearance on Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Square one day before his death.

Ruth Nocero, a Cheltenham resident, said, “I’m just devastated. I cried for two hours this morning … I just saw him yesterday… so I thought he was good.”

Francis suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was young. He was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia and spent 38 days hospitalized.

The Basilica Shine is only the second Minor Basilica in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, joining approximately 1,800 other Minor Basilicas worldwide. According to Rev. John Kettelberger, rector of the Basilica Shrine, next week marks the two year anniversary of the church’s celebration of the achievement.

As of Monday, Rev. Kettelberger said it is too early to know specifics of the Basilica Shrine’s plans to honor Pope Francis, but there will be celebrations of his life.

Francis, the first Jesuit pope, signaled a different tone for the church throughout his 12-year papacy, stressing humility over hubris and reaching out to the marginalized. The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio often emphasized that the Church should be welcoming of the LGBTQ community, immigrants, the poor, prisoners, and outcasts.

Kettelberger added “I was always very impressed by his great love for the poor, his great desire for peace, and his desire for the clergy to be servants and to be out among the people that they serve … There’s a famous phrase that he had that priests and bishops should smell like the sheep, and you would only smell like the sheep if you were out among them all the time.”

Yolanda Musa-Ris, a Wynnefield Heights resident, said she loved the first Latin American pope and admired his stance on migrants.

“I’m glad that he spoke up against people who are mean to immigrants,” said Musa-Ris, whose parents migrated from Cuba. “I believe that a lot of his legacy is the way that he tried to bring peace, stop people from fighting, and stop people from being cruel to migrants.”

Pope Francis was also known for his frequent travels to meet worshippers throughout the world. He visited Philadelphia in 2015 as part of the World Meeting of Families.

WHYY contributed to this report.