LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky Catholics will pray for Pope Francis during a special mass.
Archbishop Shelton Fabre has led the Archdiocese of Louisville for three years. In 2023, he shared a few moments with Pope Francis in Vatican City.
The friendly exchange is captured in a photograph Fabre keeps close.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to say hello to him and to share a few words, in his broken English and my broken Spanish,” Fabre said.
The meeting was the second for the archbishop.
"As a bishop, I had the privilege of sitting very near to him," Fabre said. "And then afterward, you can go up to greet him. As you can see, he was smiling and in wonderful health."
The health of Francis is on the minds of Catholics around the world as the leader of the Catholic Church battles pneumonia in both lungs. Fabre is guiding Kentucky Catholics as they pray for his recovery.
“It hits at home," Fabre said. "I think we all know what it means to be sick or to have a family member sick and to feel very grateful for the doctors and the nurses who are addressing that, but at the same time, to feel very hapless."
The archbishop said it’s a very "powerful time" to turn to prayer. The Archdiocese of Louisville will host a "Mass of Healing" on Tuesday for Pope Francis at Holy Family Catholic Church, located at 3938 Poplar Level Road in Louisville.
“As we are concerned for the Pope, we go to the Eucharist where we encounter Christ, asking the Lord to heal Pope Francis but again placing our hope and trust in His will,” Fabre said.
The Mass of Healing for the Holy Father is Tuesday at 10 a.m.
