The Mass brought Catholics from all around the diocese to pray for Pope Francis and to express their excitement over his election.
“I hope he [Pope Francis] makes it a church for the poor,” said Eduardo Baltobano, a parishioner at St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Temecula. “For me, it means a lot.”
Showcasing the global reach of the Church present within the diocese, the Mass began with an opening procession featuring several of the diocese’s ethnic and apostolic groups. Readings, prayers and music were offered in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Igbo and Tagalog.
In his homily, Bishop Barnes summed up the different emotions people were feeling as the new pontiff begins his ministry and he observed the excitement and impact the new pope is having on both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
“He reminds us that the authority that is given to us by the Lord Jesus is not of domination but one of service,” Bishop Barnes said. “Francis has already shown us that through his actions. As the Lord came to serve and not to be served, Pope Francis is reminding us of that.”
“He is already inspiring many people,” said Julia Chavez, a parishioner at Holy Family Parish in Hesperia. “I hope that a lot of the fallen-away Catholics will reconsider.”
Referring to the character Pope Francis has shown first as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and now as the pope, Bishop Barnes called on the faithful to recommit themselves to learning about the Gospel message and to share their faith with others through their actions.
“We have been given a good leader and now we have to show our gratitude,” Bishop Barnes said. “That is shown through the way we live our Catholic and Christian faith.”