The pope was remembered in prayers at regularly scheduled Masses on Saturday afternoon, and The Cathedral of St. Jude in St. Petersburg held a prayer service Saturday night.

Robert Lynch, bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, was visiting areas hit by December's tsunami but plans to be home to celebrate Mass at 7:30 p.m. Monday at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church, 5030 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill.

The evening before the pope's funeral in Rome - likely Wednesday, Thursday or Friday - Lynch is to celebrate Evening Prayer for the Dead at 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Jude, 5815 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

On the day of the pope's funeral, Lynch will lead a memorial Mass at 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Jude. Both services will be broadcast live on Spirit FM 90.5 and 88.3.

Individual churches and schools also have begun making plans.

* Incarnation Catholic Church, 5124 Gateway Drive, Town 'N Country, will have the benediction with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of Evening Prayer for the Dead at 4 p.m. today to thank God for the life, death, and entry into new life of the Holy Father. The church will have a memorial Mass on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

* Christ the King Catholic Church, 821 S. Dale Mabry Highway, began holding a Eucharistic vigil Saturday night after its 5:30 p.m. Mass, said Michael Murphy, the church's director of liturgy.

It will continue holding the vigil, before and after regularly scheduled Masses, throughout the nine days of mourning, which begin today.

After mourning, the vigil will continue with prayers intended to help in the selection of a new pope. And when the new pope is named, the vigil will continue three more days.

Christ the King also plans a Mass the day Pope John Paul II is buried, but those arrangements are not yet final, Murphy said.

* St. Cecelia Church, 820 Jasmine Way, Clearwater, plans a special Mass for the pope at 7 p.m. Monday.

* The Academy of the Holy Names plans a Mass for students and staff Monday afternoon, said Katie Holland, a campus minister at the school, 3319 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa.

The campus's 800 prekindergarten through senior high students are expected to attend, Holland said.

For updates on area Catholic churches' services in memory of the pope, go to www.dioceseofstpete.org.

Reporter B.C. Manion can be reached at (813) 259-7150.