Pope Francis was laid to rest over the weekend in Rome, after a funeral mass in Vatican City. As millions watched the proceedings on television, a Winchester, Virginia, priest was in the city to witness the historic event.

“Probably the time in my life when I felt the most Catholic,” said Rev. Stephen Vaccaro with Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Winchester, about the funeral mass.

“Catholic, the word means ‘universal’. To be surrounded by every conceivable language and culture, hundreds of thousands of people, all the dignitaries, the heads of states of most of the countries of the world and then as soon as the mass started, we were one.”

Vaccaro said he arrived at St. Peters Square six hours early for the 10 a.m. mass. He sat close to the casket, along with thousands of other priests from all over the world.

In Catholic tradition, all who attended had the chance to receive Holy Communion. Vacarro said it was a feat to behold, with an estimated quarter-million people attending the ceremony.

“They had probably 250 priests that brought Communion back into the congregation,” said Vacarro.

Vaccaro said he particularly remembers a moment at the end of the funeral mass, after they all received that Communion: “The pallbearers came and then lifted the casket so that everyone in the square could see the casket. I just thought that was so moving. It was one final goodbye before he went to his burial.”

Watch a recording of WTOP’s coverage of Francis’ funeral here .

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