Brooklyn bishop to hold mass of thanksgiving for new pope

March 18, 2013 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will celebrate a special bilingual mass of thanksgiving in honor of the new pope.

The mass, which will be celebrated in English and Spanish, will take place tonight at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint James, 250 Jay St., at 7:30 p.m.

DiMarzio will be joined by priests and deacons from all over the Diocese of Brooklyn. The bishop is issuing a special invitation to the Latino community in Brooklyn and Queens to attend the mass. Pope Francis I, who hails from Argentina, is the first pope to come from Latin America.

DiMarzio noted that the new pope chose the name Francis, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. The name has a great deal of significance, the bishop said. “St. Francis of Assisi is closely identified with the poor. In choosing such a name, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, signified that we are called to be a church in service to the most vulnerable,” he said.

Meanwhile, preparations were underway at the Vatican for the installation mass for Pope Francis I. The Pope will be officially installed as the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics on Saint Joseph’s Day, the day the church celebrates the father of Jesus Christ.

NBC News reported that the mass will be an all-day affair attended by dignitaries from all over the world, including Vice President Joe Biden.