STEUBENVILLE — After news of the death of Pope Francis from the Vatican interrupted the stillness of Easter Monday, eulogies for the Catholic Church’s 266th pontiff have been offered around the world, including in Eastern Ohio, where local Catholics and clergy remembered Francis and his influence.

“I join with all the faithful in the Diocese of Steubenville in offering prayers for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis,” Bishop Edward Lohse, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Steubenville, said. “His impact on the Catholic Church during the 12 years of his pontificate has been immense. While we personally mourn his loss among us, we place our hope in the promise of eternal life, a hope which — as Pope Francis reminded us of so many times — does not disappoint. Christ is truly risen.”

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio Dec. 17, 1936, Francis became archbishop of his hometown Buenos Aires in 1998 and was made a cardinal three years later by Pope John Paul II. The church’s cardinals elected him pope Feb. 28, 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

As pontiff, Francis was a trailblazer: The first pope to take the name Francis, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi; the first from the Society of Jesus, or Jesuit Order; and the first to originate from South America.

His writings and public comments often centered around concern for the poor, responsible stewardship of the planet and migrant rights, among other issues of the day. He penned four encyclicals, including “Laudato Sì: On Care for Our Common Home.”

“Pope Francis will be known for calling the church to reach out actively to our brothers and sisters who live ‘in the periphery,’ as he was accustomed to say,’ Lohse said.

“He will be remembered for his teaching … but most especially, I think that he will be remembered for his compassion toward those who find themselves struggling with life, faith or hope.”

The pope had only recently been discharged from a weeks-long stay at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. He was treated for a respiratory infection and subsequent bilateral pneumonia.

A death certificate issued by Andrea Arcangeli, director of the Vatican’s Directorate of Health and Hygiene, declared that Francis died in his apartment at 7:35 a.m. from stroke, coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse.

The pope’s only apostolic visit to the U.S. occurred in September 2015. During the six-day trip, Francis addressed Congress and the United Nations and attended the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

Lohse, who spent years in Rome for work, said Francis’ “warmth, compassion and fidelity to the faith” were exhibited clearly whenever he saw or heard the pope in person.

“During these days of mourning in which we find strength in the Easter message of resurrection and new life, I invite all people of good will to join us in prayer, asking God to welcome Pope Francis into the Heavenly Kingdom and giving thanks for the graces of his pontificate,” he said.

Lohse will offer a Mass for the repose of the pope’s soul today at 5:15 p.m. at Holy Rosary Church, 280 Rosemont Ave., Steubenville. The faithful are invited to attend and pray for Francis.

Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston noted that Francis “worked right up to the end,” appearing publicly and meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday.

Francis was a “sign of hope and a real respect” for people in the margins of society, including those in the economically depressed areas of the Ohio Valley, Brennan said. Francis’ gift — in the vein of John Paul II — was a love for meeting and speaking with people, something he demonstrated through prison visits and washing others’ feet on Holy Thursday.

“He was willing to disrupt things in some way,” Brennan said of the pope’s qualities. “Some people, of course, don’t like that. Most people don’t want to be asked to change that much, but the pope said, ‘We have to change that much.'”

Following Francis’ funeral and burial, cardinals under the age of 80 will gather privately in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope. A candidate must obtain a two-thirds majority to be elected. Smoke signals from the chapel indicate the vote’s outcome — white if there’s a successful vote and black if not.

Brennan noted the quality of recent popes and their tendency to build on their predecessors’ work. He said Francis’ concern for the poor and marginalized will continue, meaning the next pope “has to be someone who really cares about people who are suffering.”

Nine days of mourning and nine Masses will be held for Francis in the diocese, Brennan said. A memorial Mass was scheduled for Monday in the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

“Like we do with anyone we love or even people we don’t know when we hear that they’ve died, we pray for them, we commend them to God. So let us do that for brother Francis, who served God, the church and beyond for all of his adult life, right up to the age of 88. Let’s pray to commend him to God.”

Franciscan University of Steubenville students and staff mourned Francis’ death during an hour of prayer and eucharistic adoration led by university President the Rev. Dave Pivonka, TOR, who was given a private audience with the pope in December.

At the audience’s conclusion, Francis offered a blessing to all the students, who were preparing for final exams at the time: “I send you students my greeting and my blessing. Continue forward and don’t lose your joy. Please pray for me and I will pray for you. May the Lord bless you.”

“Franciscan University joins the church in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, a shepherd who tirelessly preached the saving message of Jesus Christ and the joy of the Gospel,” Pivonka said. “I will always be grateful for the primacy that our holy father placed on the (gospel message) and the saving work of Jesus, reminding us that the saving actions of Jesus are for all people.”

Stephen Hildebrand, Franciscan’s vice president for academic affairs, accompanied Pivonka during the private audience.

“His attention to the person, his tireless work ethic, his generosity, his warmth — these wonderful qualities deeply impressed me,” Hildebrand said. “I thank God for the opportunity to have met him and pray that the Lord receive him and bring him to perfect union with himself.”

John Paul Quejeda, a senior philosophy major at Franciscan, said he will always remember Francis’ great joy.

“Growing up in public schools in a culture of cell phones, isolation, depression and individualism, Pope Francis was always a light in the darkness. He reminded me that we do not live in an age of gloom but in the glorious reign of Christ, who has conquered the darkness,” said Quejeda, who hails from Manassas Park, Va.

Cristy Mercado Ezquer, a senior theology and catechetics major and Dallas native, met with Pope Francis in Rome last year — “an undeserved gift from our lord” that she still marvels about today.

“Pope Francis sought the Lord’s will and led his Church in simplicity and humility, much like our Lord himself. He smiled throughout it all, bearing his crosses with silent faith,” Ezquer said. “Through it all, the Holy Father always loved. Praise God for the gift of his servant’s guidance of the church.