On Monday, 115 Cardinals were in the Vatican for their final day of talks before a Conclave begins on Tuesday. At St. Joseph Cathedral in Sioux Falls, parishioners gathered for one last Mass to pray for the process. Though it was hard to hear everyone's prayers, you could certainly feel the faith.
"There's an excitement about it, but it's looking to the future with hope," Bishop Paul Swain said.
Though there are no clear frontrunners, Kathy Denotter is excited two Americans are rumored to be on the Papal shortlist.
"It'd just be someone, almost like a local being the Pope! It'd be wonderful," Denotter said.
More than just an election, Tuesday's Conclave could be critical for the Catholic Church. Bishop Paul Swain with the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese said the process is not about choosing a winner; it is about finding a guiding light.
"These are challenging times for the Church, for the world, for everyone in so many ways. The impact for whomever is selected is going to have a significant influence over what happens to us in the next few years. Next few decades," Swain said.
Swain said the level of interest in the Conclave is particularly interesting because of how many young people are interested in who is elected.
"It certainly is more than when Pope Benedict was elected. I think it's partially because there's a yearning; there's a searching," Swain said.
As the transition begins and parishioners lift up their prayers, Denotter hopes her call for someone to restore faith is heard.
"Some people that have left the Church, it'd be nice for them to come back to the Catholic Church," Denotter said.
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