Michiganders, including a group of students and their teachers from Metro Detroit, joined tens of thousands of people from around the world at the Vatican on Saturday to pay their respects to the pope​ before he is laid to rest.

Maria Pia Caruso travelled to Rome from her hometown in northern Italy after she learned Pope Francis had died at age 88, to say a final goodbye to a pontiff she believes brought important changes to the global Catholic Church.

The faithful will be flocking to Rome to honor the death of Pope Francis, with his funeral scheduled for Saturday April 26. While the city is heavily booked out, there are still ways to visit affordably.