Metro Detroit mourns Pope Francis
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Pope Francis blessing a baby in the Vatican in January. Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images
Religious leaders across the world and in Metro Detroit continue to mourn the death of Pope Francis at 88 on Easter Monday.
The big picture: Francis' legacy is being memorialized at parishes across the region, including by the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit's new archbishop, Edward Weisenburger.
By the numbers: The death leaves a major religion in Metro Detroit without its international leader. Nearly a quarter of adults in Metro Detroit identify as Catholic, per a survey conducted in 2023-24 by the Pew Research Center.
- That's slightly more than the state as a whole — 19%, versus 23%.
Zoom in: The pope's legacy in Detroit is evident with the Pope Francis Center, a local homelessness services nonprofit renamed for the pontiff in 2016 to honor his commitment to people lacking housing and other resources. The center called Francis, known for his historically progressive stances, its "namesake and spiritual guide" in a statement.
- Led by its CEO, Father Tim McCabe, the center will host a mass for Francis at 6:30pm Thursday at its Bridge Housing Campus at 2915 West Hancock St.
Other masses:
Wednesday: Southwest Detroit's Most Holy Redeemer Parish is hosting a rosary and Mass in Spanish for the late pope at 6pm with Weisenburger.
- The rosary starts at 5:30pm.
- "All are welcome to attend," the Facebook event reads.
Friday: Weisenburger will also preside during a Mass in English at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth. It's at 7pm, with the rosary starting at 6:30pm.
Between the lines: The Archdiocese of Detroit's Novendiali — or official nine days of mourning — will take place at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Woodward Avenue, according to the Detroit Catholic. More details are forthcoming.