On the eve of Pope Francis' funeral, Chicago-area deaf community members gathered for a special mass.
“For deaf people this Pope was special," said Father Joseph Mulcrone of the St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center in Dunning. "This is a way for the deaf people to come and say thank you."
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WATCH HEREFt. Mulcrone lead the mass Friday night. Mulcrone said the Pope had a profound impact on the Catholic and Christian deaf community.
"This Pope really focused on people who were out there on the margins of life," Mulcrone said. "People with disabilities, people who are deaf, often society puts them out there. Well this Pope paid attention to out there. Not here. Not the middle, not the powerful or the famous or the big dealers."
Mulcrone recalls a time in 2018 when he was at the Vatican with a church group of deaf community members. The Pope saw them using Sign Language to say 'I love you,' and to his surprise he signed it back.
"That meant a lot for the deaf people," Mulcrone said.
A group from St. Francis Borgia was already planning to travel to Rome Saturday morning prior to the Pope's passing for the Jubilee of People with Disabilities. The crew is still going despite the loss, and will bring a book that was used at Friday's mass. Parishioners signed the book with well wishes for the Pope.
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"Archbishop Kennedy from the Vatican will take the book and he will put it with the other books from all over the world, and that book will remain in the Vatican forever," Mulcrone said.
The Pope's funeral will take place at 3 a.m. CT Saturday.
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