For the Rev. Ryan Harpole of St. Joseph Catholic Church, the papacy of Pope Francis challenged him to “always be thinking about those that were outcasts.”

“For me, personally, it was just always that – just don’t forget the poor, because it’s easy to forget them,” Harpole told the Daily News.

Francis, who became pope in 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, died in Vatican City early Monday morning at the age of 88. From Argentina, Francis was the first pope from the Americas and the first non-European to serve as pope in nearly 1,300 years, since Gregory III in the year 741.

Harpole said like parishes around the world, St. Joseph is planning a funeral mass for Francis this week. He said the mass will be a normal daily mass with funeral prayers.

Students at St. Joseph School prayed for the pope on Monday as well.

Francis took his papal name from Saint Francis of Assisi, known widely for his dedication to helping the poor. Speaking on what Pope Francis meant to the world, Harpole said this was his main focus.

“That was always his emphasis, to go out to the outskirts, to the people that we’ve forgotten, whether it’s the poor, the homeless (or) people in prisons,” Harpole said.

Comparing Francis to Popes John Paul II and Benedict, Harpole said Francis helped “remind” the church about helping those in need.

“John Paul II was fighting against communism at the time … Benedict was always about theology and philosophy and trying to get the doctrines correct, and so maybe for a while, not that we forgot about (helping the poor) as the church, but it was good to be reminded once again,” Harpole said.

Simplicity was another focus for Francis, Harpole said. He said unlike other popes, Francis would drive around in small, average cars in lieu of limousines and maintained a humble approach to his role.

“I think a lot of people saw that too,” Harpole said. “A non-Catholic, looking at the Catholic Church, thinks ‘well the pope’s kind of like … a king.’ No, he’s just the pope, he’s just the bishop of Rome, which is a big deal, obviously … but again, he exemplified that (simplicity).

Francis’ time as pope saw many changes within the Catholic Church, including expansions of women’s roles in the church.

Harpole said another large change in the church was a renewed focus on helping the disadvantaged around the world.

“That’s what he said all the time — go out to the outskirts,” Harpole said.

The Rev. Randy Howard of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Bowling Green told the Daily News after publication that the church will hold mass at 6 p.m. Thursday to pray for Francis.

Like Harpole, Howard said Francis “tried very much” to help the disadvantaged.

“I think he very much reminded us of that — that’s what we’re supposed to do,” he said. “Even taking the name Francis, I think, said that.”

Howard believes Francis was sometimes “misunderstood” during his papacy. Francis’ time as pope saw a shift in some beliefs within the church, especially regarding members of the LGBTQ+ population.

“He wasn’t actually changing anything that we believe or that the church teaches, even though it was reported so,” Howard said. “I think all he was trying to do was to kind of extend a hand to them and say, ‘we know you’re there and you’re part of the church too.'”

Holy Spirit shared a “prayer for the eternal soul of Pope Francis” on its Facebook page and Gov. Andy Beshear issued a statement online Monday morning, stating Francis “earned the title as ‘The People’s Pope.’”

“He led by example, and his humility and dedication to God brought people together,” Beshear said in the statement. “His loss is great, but his impact is greater.”