'Privileged': Sarnia students react to taking part in Pope Francis's final Vatican mass

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 28, 2025 1:49 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Olivia Moscone says astatine first, she was "shocked" erstwhile Pope Francis made an quality astatine the Vatican backmost connected Easter Sunday, successful what turned retired to beryllium his past mass. He would dice the adjacent day.

The Sarnia, Ont., pupil goes to St. Patrick's Catholic High School and was connected an overseas schoolhouse trip.

Moscone couldn't judge she had the accidental to spot and beryllium blessed by him on with the thousands successful attendance.

"I was truthful incredibly grateful for the teachers for taking america to the Vatican and for having celebrated Easter wide determination — conscionable truthful privileged," she said.

"It was decidedly an unforgettable experience."

WATCH | Pope Francis made his last nationalist quality Easter Sunday: 

Pope Francis, whose 12-year papacy ushered successful a much open, welcoming Catholic Church, died astatine the property of 88. He hailed acold from the powerfulness centre of the Vatican, calved successful Buenos Aires connected Dec. 17, 1936, the eldest of 5 children of Italian immigrants.

His funeral was connected Saturday aft respective years of mediocre wellness became a concern. His latest bout of bronchitis — diagnosed successful February — worsened to go pneumonia. He ended up being admitted into infirmary for 5 weeks.

Moscone says she was alert of his failing wellness truthful her radical was unsure astir the prospects of him being capable to get retired connected the balcony and be the ceremony.

"We were each benignant of humming and hawing to spot if helium would measurement out. And erstwhile helium did, it was decidedly amazing.

Taryn Stoukas, who goes to the aforesaid southwestern Ontario school, was besides connected the trip.

She told CBC Radio's Windsor Morning big Amy Dodge arsenic soon arsenic helium came retired connected the balcony, everyone started applauding.

"You could spot connected everyone's faces that everyone was stunned to talk due to the fact that cipher truly knew if helium was going to travel retired oregon not," said Stoukas. 

"Everyone was conscionable relieved that they got the accidental to spot him."

Roy Gouveia is simply a teacher astatine the schoolhouse and 1 of the organizers.

He says it was a thrill for everyone to witnesser and the vigor successful the assemblage roseate aft it was confirmed he'd marque an appearance.

"People were thrilled and precise blessed that helium was capable to springiness that blessing and marque that quality and observe successful specified a idiosyncratic way," said Gouveia.

Pope Francis appeared to beryllium "very frail" erstwhile helium was brought retired successful a wheelchair, helium said, but that came arsenic nary astonishment to radical there.

"We were pleased that helium managed to springiness specified a idiosyncratic blessing that helium really spoke those words and decidedly determination was that idiosyncratic transportation there."

Aside from attending wide astatine the Vatican, that Gouveia called the "highlight," the schoolhouse travel besides zeroed successful connected visiting places specified arsenic the Colosseum, Sistine Chapel and Parthenon successful Greece. 

Stoukas says they were connected different excursion the pursuing time erstwhile they recovered retired Pope Francis had passed — calling it a "weird experience" having conscionable seen successful the time before.

"We didn't truly cognize however to react. And arsenic soon arsenic that happened, 1 of our teachers led america successful a prayer," she said.

Gouveia says quality of his decease was pugnacious to take.

"It's astir similar you mislaid a household member, having seen him truthful precocious — conscionable hours earlier — and past uncovering retired astir the quality of his passing. It was similar we mislaid a friend."

According to Gouveia, helium believes the Vatican acquisition was 1 that volition enactment with him and the students for the remainder of their lives.

"What's comic is that I deliberation it heightened the level of [religious] engagement. I cognize that connected the formation backmost … immoderate of the kids they were tuning into their small screens. I cognize that a fig of students each of a abrupt took involvement successful the movie Conclave."

On Monday, the Vatican confirmed that Roman Catholic cardinals volition conscionable successful a concealed conclave to elite the caller person of the planetary Church starting from May 7. Cardinals nether the property of 80 are eligible to ballot for Pope Francis's successor, meaning immoderate 135 from astir the satellite are expected to enactment successful the highly secretive ballot.