A Final Farewell To Francis Cardinal George
CHICAGO (CBS) - Chicago and Catholics worldwide were preparing to say goodbye to Francis Cardinal George, who was the spiritual leader of the third largest Archdiocese in the U.S., and served the church in Rome for more than a decade.
George will be laid to rest Thursday afternoon, following a funeral mass at Holy Name Cathedral, where he presided over the Catholic Church in Chicago for more than 17 years. He died Friday, following a long battle with cancer.
Mourners visited Holy Name Cathedral through the night Wednesday into Thursday, for an all-night public visitation, knowing it would be their last chance to see the cardinal lying in state in the sanctuary.
At 8 a.m., the doors to Holy Name Cathedral will be closed to the public, so officials can prepare the church for the noon funeral mass, which is an invitation only service.
Cardinal George's Legacy
Among those helping at the morning prayer service at Holy Name were several young missionaries, who have dedicated a year of their lives to serving the church through the group Regnum Christi.
"A lot of people think that the Catholic Church is dying out, that it's full of all old people, these things, but really … just being a missionary, having been in contact with so many young people, it's really inspiring to see how the church is really thriving," said Isabel Cumming. "There's so many beautiful ecclesial movements that are really helping people to do that in a very personal way, and that's just meant a lot to me."
Following the funeral, George will be buried alongside his family at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines.
The funeral procession could cause some traffic delays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., along the funeral route on the Kennedy Expressway, Irving Park Road, Nagle Avenue, Milwaukee Avenue, Dempster Street, Rand Road, and River Road.
After leaving Holy Name Cathedral, the hearse carrying George's casket will pause at St. Pascal Parish in Portage Park, George's boyhood church, and where he was ordained as a priest.
CBS 2 will have expanded coverage of the funeral starting with an extended newscast at 11 a.m., followed by live coverage of the funeral and procession, beginning at noon.
