Pope Francis celebrated with Mass and art at St. John's University in Queens
As people around the world gather to honor Pope Francis, St. John's University in Queens is bringing its community together in both traditional and unique ways.
There was moment of prayer and reflection for the school community on Wednesday with a Mass at St. Thomas More Church in remembrance of the pope, who died on Monday at the age of 88.
"He walked humbly and lovingly"
In delivering his message, Rev. Brian Shanley, the school's president, spoke on the pontiff's ability to walk alongside people, just like Jesus did with his disciples.
"Rather than being a pope way up here, he was a pope that would be right with you in your struggles with your faith and in the church's struggles. He walked humbly and lovingly and that's what I loved about him," Shanley said.
Shanley said the pope had a gift for reaching out to young people, which was evident to students like Aidan Heffernan, who's an altar server.
"I think it's a great opportunity for young people to get involved. There's still a lot of pain and suffering around the world and my religion helps me focus on the good," Heffernan said.
St. John's students express grief through art
Ahead of the Mass, students gathered outside the church to express their grief through art, each painting a tile to create a mosaic of the pontiff that offers a different way to reflect.
"We're providing space where people can be quiet or they can be engaged; they can have conversations, but it's a healing experience," said Dan Napolitano, director of student services at St. John's Tobin College of Business.
"He had such an impact on the Catholic Church, community and the world as a whole," graduate student Juliana Biondi said of Pope Francis.
- Read more: Who will be the next pope? Here's a list of some possible candidates to succeed Pope Francis.
Those sentiments were echoed by Bishop Joseph Espaillat of the Bronx.
"It has been a mix of emotions for me. I was named by Pope Francis to be an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York. Very sobering, very real. It was a privilege moment," Espaillat told CBS News New York from Rome, where he was able to pay his respects to Pope Francis at Casa Santa Marta. "To me, personally, [his death] was almost losing a father figure. [He was] a really humble man who loved the Lord and has now gone back home to him."
