Romana

The wake of Bishop Echevarría began shortly after his death, in the chapel of the hospital of the Campus Bio-Medico. The Auxiliary and General Vicar, Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz, celebrated the first Mass corpore insepulto, which was followed by others, celebrated by the Vicar General, Msgr. Mariano Fazio, and the Vicar of the delegation of Opus Dei in Rome, Fr. Carlo De Marchi and other priests. Throughout the night, doctors and nurses at the hospital complex, as well as faithful of the Prelature and friends, came to pray before the mortal remains of the Prelate.

On the 13th of December, at 10:30 am, the coffin left the hospital amidst the applause of those who wished to give their final farewell. The mortal remains of Bishop Echevarría were transferred to the Prelatic Church of Our Lady of Peace. There the wake continued from noon until the moment of burial on the afternoon of the 14th. During those hours, thousands of people came to pray before the coffin: people from Italian public life and the media, academics and married couples, workers and students, religious and members of various institutions in the Church. A large number of churchmen also came including Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar for the Diocese of Rome; Cardinals Jean-Louis-Pierre Tauran, Darío Castrillón Hoyos, Mauro Piacenza, Sean Patrick O’Malley, Robert Sarah, Archbishop Virenzo Paglia and other Bishops. During the time that the wake was held, Masses for the eternal rest of Bishop Echevarría followed one after another.