Stockton's Catholic community mourns loss of Pope Francis
STOCKTON — The Catholic community in California's Central Valley is mourning the loss of their pope.
A noon mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church in downtown Stockton was full of prayer and mourning for the late Pope Francis, who died of a stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.
"We grieve at his loss, but we gather here not to mourn his death, but to celebrate his life," Reverend Edwin Musico said.
Marietta Squires-Arenas made the journey from Salida to Stockton to pray for His Holiness as soon as she could.
"I was a little surprised, but I knew that he was suffering and when he had went out there the last time, he had looked a little frail, a little tired," she said.
"He was a man with a very strong faith, so I learned from him," said another church-goer, Rose Garcia.
Garcia remembers the pope addressing the faithful on Easter Sunday with a message of peace.
"Especially yesterday, he gave the last service, so to me, connected in a way. Yeah, that's the right word, connected," said Garcia.
Reverend Musico connected churchgoers with His Holiness' teachings during his time as pope.
"It's about welcoming everyone. It's about taking care of our neighbors. It's about forgiving those who hurt us," he said.
A legacy of humility and mercy is left behind for a pontiff who charmed and changed the Catholic world.
There will be a Rosary in both English and Spanish at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton starting at 7 p.m. on Monday.
