Many worshippers clutched photograph of loved ones who could not attend, among them 54-year-old Srimathi Fernando, whose husband is recovering from a heart attack.
“ I came early to grab a spot in front so that I can show this picture to the Holy Father and get a blessing for him [ her husband ] , “ she said
Worshippers held rosary beads aloft for a mass papal blessing before Francis ended the two-hour celebration with the words “ go forth, the mass has ended”.