Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: Hundreds of Catholic masses were held in honor of the devout VÃ zina , and more than 1,500 people filled the Chicoutimi cathedral for his funeral .
Simplified: Hundreds of Catholic masses were held in honor of the devout VÃ zina , and more than 1500 people went to the Chicoutimi cathedral for his funeral .