INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Students and faculty from Roncalli High School will attend Pope Francis’s viewing and funeral.

This trip to Italy was initially planned for the four students and two adults to make a pilgrimage to witness the canonization, or formal declaration, of the first millennial, Carlo Acutis, to be declared a saint in the Catholic Church.

That all changed when Pope Francis died on the day they left for Europe.

“We’re seeing a lot of memorials to him in these churches that we’re going into, and it’s kind of hitting us,” said Regan Happe, a Roncalli High School theology teacher.

Students said they felt a connection to Acutis because he was so young when he died. Acutis was only 15 when he died of leukemia.

“This is a really rare occurrence for someone, a saint that you can witness that you can relate to because he was known for being a saint at his young age, and I can relate to that,” said Anthony Caito, a Roncalli High School freshman.

The group knew they would see the Pope on the original trip because he was set to perform this canonization.

The students said they will still see the Pope, but in the way it was intended for them.

“It’s how God wanted it to go,” said Fatima Sobranes-Aguayo, a Roncalli High School sophomore. “This pilgrimage, it’s not how it was planned, and I think that was the beauty of it.”

“I never would have guessed that I would be going to Pope Francis’s funeral. That never would have cross my mind,” said Lily Bauman, a Roncalli High School senior. “There’s so many young people here, and just seeing the youthfulness that Carlo brought being translated to Pope Francis is really special.”

All of the students know witnessing this funeral is a great honor.

“I’d say it’s a very, very historic moment, and for it to happen this week when we planned to go is just crazy to think about,” said Max Miranda, a Roncalli High School junior. “I think it’s really special.”

“It just makes me feel good that I can look up to such a figure,” Sobranes-Aguayo said.

The Roncalli group knows they are watching one chapter close while acknowledging Pope Francis brought important leadership and change to the Catholic Church.

“Pope Francis’s emphasis on hope has been a beautiful refreshing of my faith for me,” said Katie Hibner, the Roncalli High School director of campus ministry.

“People are remembering him by remembering how he would be so well connected with his people,” Happe said.

The canonization of Carlo Acutis as a saint will be postponed to a later date.

The students are set to attend the viewing in the early morning hours on Friday. They also plan to attend the funeral mass on Saturday morning.