Parishioners headed to the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn for a noon mass Monday to mourn the loss of Pope Francis.

Many told NY1 they’re saddened but also filled with hope because that’s what Francis would have wanted.

“We just have hope as he always said we have hope,” Nadine Lubin, who attended the mass, said.

“I felt like I wanted to pray for his soul and just be with community at a time like this,” Peter Devincenzo, who attended the mass, said.

“I felt that this was really important to be here to reflect, and to also not only pay respects to his Holiness but also to pray for the future of the church,” Frost Hernandez, who attended the mass, said.

Easter Monday a time of celebration for Catholics, is now also a time of mourning for the pope who emphasized respecting the dignity of all people.

“That’s the best thing to celebrate Easter and then after the resurrection Jesus said, ‘You did a good job. Now it’s time to come to me,” Lubin said.

“I remember him as one who would reach outreach out to bring all people into the folds of the love of God,” Bishop Robert Brennan said.

Brennan, who was appointed by Francis to lead the diocese of Brooklyn in 2021, shared a few of his fondest memories of the pope before leading the noon mass, including the time Francis visited Madison Square Garden in 2015.

“He looked up and said very, very seriously, Jesus is walking in our city being here in New York. That meant an awful lot,” Brennan said. “He said, ‘He’s walking among us sometimes in the disguise of the poor and those that are kind of kicked to the sides.' But he’s also there as a constant presence, giving us strength and hope.”

When asked how New Yorkers can honor the memory of Francis, Brennan said the pope would want everyone to take concrete actions to show care for one another.