The Superintendent of Schools Office in the Archdiocese of New York has announced a Week of Prayer and Remembrance in honor of Pope Francis, inviting students, faculty, and families to unite in mourning and reflect on his life and legacy.
Pope Francis’ historic 2015 Apostolic Visit to the United States left a lasting impression on the Archdiocese of New York, as he became the first pope to visit a Catholic school in the U.S. During his visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem, he offered words of encouragement and hope to students, saying:
“Wherever there are dreams, there is joy, Jesus is always present. Because Jesus is joy, and he wants to help us to feel that joy every day of our lives.”
To honor Pope Francis’ memory, Catholic schools across the Archdiocese will observe a Week of Prayer and Reflection beginning Monday, April 28, 2025. The week’s activities will include:
- April 28: School-wide recitation of the Rosary
- April 29: Holy Hours of Eucharistic Adoration offered for the soul of Pope Francis
- April 30: Recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet for Pope Francis’s soul
- May 1: School-wide Memorial Prayer Service for Children in Remembrance of Pope Francis
- May 2: Archdiocesan School Region Masses in Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, Central Westchester, and the Upper Counties School Regions
“… with gratitude for his life and ministry, I invite all Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of New York to pause and pray for Pope Francis that he may be received into the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father and reunited in paradise with his Savior.”
Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of New York
Click here to view the Letter from Sister Mary Grace Walsh on the Passing of Pope Francis
Prayer Resources
Memorial Photo Album of Pope Francis Visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School
(click the left and right arrows to view all the pictures)
