Dozens of people gathered at St. Paschal Church and Pope Francis Global Academy in the early evening of March 13 to pray for Pope Francis on the 12th anniversary of his election.

The service, which included prayer in church and short eucharistic procession to the front of the school, came as the 88-year-old pontiff remained in the hospital, almost a month after being admitted.

The procession walked along busy Irving Park Road at rush hour, past a banner on the school’s fence reminding people to “Pray for Pope Francis.”

By the time of the prayer service, the Vatican had announced that Pope Francis appeared to be slowly recovering from double pneumonia and that his condition was “stable.”

Students and staff at Pope Francis Global Academy have been praying for Pope Francis every morning, said kindergarten teacher Julie Marchant. Marchant is a member of the school’s Catholic identity committee.

Even before the pope’s recent illness, faculty at the school tried to foster a connection to him by, for example, celebrating his birthday in December. They also hold Francis up as an example to students.

“It’s a responsibility for us to live up to,” she said, citing the pope’s emphasis on love and service.

Matt Evenstad, who teaches junior high social studies and religion, said his students increased their knowledge of Pope Francis’ leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020.

“They became more aware of all the influence Pope Francis has not only on our Catholic community but on the Catholic community around the world,” Evenstad said. “They’ve become much more aware of his presence and his importance.”

His religion classes discuss Catholic social teaching twice a week, he said, and students are encouraged and given the opportunity to serve others, including veterans, people with terminal illnesses and those who have recently migrated to the area.

Service to migrants has been especially important, he said, because both Pope Francis Global Academy and Our Lady of the Rosary Parish are home to a significant population of Latinos, and most of the migrants who have arrived in Chicago in recent years are from South and Central America.

The students have been concerned about the pope’s health since he entered Gemelli Hospital in Rome with a respiratory infection Feb. 14, he said, especially since the there have been several deaths among the families of students in the same time period.

“It’s been hard for them to digest,” he said.

Since Pope Francis has been ill, students have been adding cards, letters and other items to a table set up as a simple altar in the school’s entrance hall.

Father Juan Vargas, associate pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, led the service. He reminded participants from Pope Francis Global Academy and Our Lady of the Rosary Parish that Catholicism teaches that Catholics around the world pray for the pope because everyone, including the pope, is connected.

“We are connected to everyone who has been and everyone who will ever be,” Vargas said.

At the end of the service, Vargas gave credit to the students who returned well after the end of the school day to participate, whether they were part of the congregation, servers or members of the choir.

That’s because, he said, the students do feel close to the pope from learning about him and what he teaches.

“The core values of the school have been the same as the Holy Father’s,” Vargas said. “The heart, the love, the service.”

Eighth grader Sofia Panvino was among the students who attended. She has been at the school since before it took the name Pope Francis Global Academy in 2016, she said.

She said she was sad when Pope Francis became ill because his presence is a regular of her school day.

“He’s the pope,” she said.

Her father, John Panvino, said Pope Francis has been a good example to Sofia, her younger sister and all the students at the school.

“He’s helped them think,” Panvino said. “He’s helped them know Jesus.”