In the rear of the sanctuary, the Rev. Ken Slattery stood gathering his thoughts and staring at a portrait of Pope John Paul II resting on an easel. It was draped with a sash of mourning purple.

``We've lost a fabulous leader,'' Slattery said, looking away.

As the pews filled, the priest proceeded up the main aisle to share the sad news before Mass. Many in his flock groaned.

``It's appropriate he died during the Easter season,'' Slattery, 50, said. ``Our pontiff, John Paul, will also rise.''

Sylvia Mencik, 49, of Hudson, had stopped in before Mass to pray for the pope. She, too, hadn't yet learned of his death.

``I was praying that he would go in peace,'' she said, kneeling before flickering prayer candles. ``Hearing that he has is good. I'm glad he's at peace now; it's all I wanted for him.''

John and Dolly Radwanski, who spend winters in Port Richey and live in Hamtramck, Mich., saw the pope when he visited their hometown in 1987. Hamtramck is largely populated by Polish Americans.

``Our town closed for two days prior to the pope's visit,'' John Radwanski, 69, said. ``I was the superintendent of schools there, and we got to sit in the front row with dignitaries like Sen. Carl Levin. Oh, that was special. We put a statue of the pope up in town in his honor.

``This is a very sad day because he's done so much for humanity. He was truly the pope to all peoples and visited a lot of religious leaders, unifying the world. He left a lot of legacies for us to follow.''

As Our Lady Queen of Peace celebrated its first Mass in 17 years without Pope John Paul II, the light of the late afternoon sun slanted through stained-glass windows, painting the floors in bright hues. Hundreds packed the pews.

Many women held rosary beads, saying a prayer on each before slipping their fingers onto the next bead for another prayer. Several parishioners wiped away tears.

Reporter Steve Kornacki can be reached at (813) 731-8170.