While Pope Francis made great strides in life as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, his passing will be mourned around the world.
Here in Washington, D.C., that holds particularly true, where the impact of his visit to the District in 2015 when Pope Francis spoke to a crowd of around 25,000 people, can still be seen to this day, with the chair, pastoral staff, and pulpit that he used during his visit being enshrined and put on display!
How is the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception honoring Pope Francis’ legacy?
Aside from the shrine that is on display at the National Shrine, which consists of the chair, pastoral staff, and pulpit that Pope Francis used to conduct the first-ever canonization on U.S. soil, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will ring its bells a total of 88 times this evening, referencing Pope Francis’ 88 years of age at the time of his passing.
In addition to the unique bell ceremony, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will also reportedly be holding a memorial service in the Church Crypt.
The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception typically holds its afternoon daily mass sessions at 5:15 pm, so it’s fair to assume this is when the bell ceremony will take place.
How else is Washington, D.C., honoring Pope Francis’ legacy?
At around noon on Easter Monday, just a few hours after the passing of Pope Francis was publicly announced, President Trump made a public announcement that U.S. Flags around the country to fly at half-mast.
The announcement was made during the White House Easter Egg Roll event, which is attended by around 40,000 guests every Easter weekend.