Preparing For Pope Francis’ Whirlwind New York Visit

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Some of these would be “must see” stops for any traveler on a whirlwind 36-hour visit to the Big Apple. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is of course on the itinerary. So are the United Nations, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and Madison Square Garden. But so is Our Lady Queen of Angels, an inner-city Catholic elementary school in East Harlem, certainly a less likely tourist attraction. But Pope Francis is no ordinary visitor.

“The Pope is very gracious in saying I’m trusting you. What would you like me to see?” said Cardinal Dolan at an informal press briefing June 30 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to discuss the Holy Father’s impending visit to New York Sept. 24-25 as part his larger visit to the United States. New York is the second leg of a three-city visit that begins in Washington, D.C., two days earlier. Pope Francis departs the city early Saturday morning Sept. 26 for Philadelphia to take part in the World Meeting of Families there Sept. 26-27.

“From the beginning he let it be known that he obviously was going to the U.N., that he wanted to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral. But he wanted to see, and these were his words, an inner-city Catholic school. And he wanted to see a Catholic Charities site and he particularly highlighted care for the immigrants,” the Cardinal explained.

The Pope will visit a third grade classroom at Our Lady Queen of Angels and meet with students and principals from four Harlem schools, including St. Ann’s School, St. Charles Borromeo School and St. Paul’s School. He will be greeted outside the school by hundreds of students representing 218 elementary and high schools from across the archdiocese.

The Cardinal stressed Our Lady Queen of Angels, a school serving mostly the children of low-income families, wasn’t selected because it is uniquely exceptional as a Catholic school but because it typifies all Catholic schools across the archdiocese. It was also a matter of geography. Queen of Angels, situated in uptown Manhattan, is relatively easy to get to on a jammed-packed Friday schedule. The school visit is set for 4 p.m. sandwiched between a multi-religious service at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan at 11:30 a.m. and Mass at the Garden at 6 p.m. At the school Pope Francis will also meet in the gymnasium with recent immigrants, refugees and other poor and marginalized people who are cared for by Catholic Charities programs.

When asked what he hoped to show the Holy Father, Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities, responded, “the strangers who are welcomed by Catholic Charities.”

Before any of that the Pope will address the United Nations General Assembly at 8:30 a.m.

The Pontiff lands at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport from Washington on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. and will proceed directly to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for evening prayer (vespers) at 6:45 p.m.

A Papal Visit team chaired by Al Kelly, former president of American Express, who also served as president and chief executive officer of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee in 2014, is coordinating the sprawling itinerary. Organizers expect huge crowds.

“Based on how popular this Pope is and how big this city is I think that there will be millions of people looking to get a glimpse of the Holy Father,” Kelly said. “Remember this is U.N. General Assembly week. It’s the 70th anniversary of the General Assembly. The expectation is that there could be upwards of 200 world leaders in town. So obviously we’ll have to balance security, congestion and also getting access for people to see the Holy Father. All these things will have to be balanced out. And we’ll do the best we can.”

Kelly said two motorcades were being planned to allow as many people as possible to see the Pope.

“We’re still working very closely with our colleagues at the New York City Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service who have been terrific partners and are obviously involved in all aspects across three cities in the United States for the visit. And we do expect to do at least one, perhaps two motorcades where the Pope will be visible to people and our hope is that we’ll be able to announce that sometime in advance so that people of the City of New York will get good access to the Holy Father when he’s here.”

Cardinal Dolan said a lottery system would be used to distribute tickets, through the parishes mostly, to events such as the Mass at Madison Square Garden.

“Any of the tickets that we distribute through any sources will not have a charge associated with them,” he said. “They will all be free.”

Cardinal Dolan assured that renovations to St. Patrick’s Cathedral would be completed and all scaffolding removed before the papal visit, though he hedged on that prediction somewhat. “Could you light a candle for that intention?” he asked the assembled media with a laugh.

As to what he hoped would result from this fifth papal visit to the city, the Cardinal was expansive.

“You will not be surprised that I’m going to stress the spiritual,” he stated. “And I don’t have to apologize for that because I think the Pope will too. What he wants to do is speak to us about God. He wants to remind us of the eternal. He wants to reassert the basic teachings of the Bible and what God has told us about the dignity of the human person, the sanctity of human life, the beauty of religions coming together in harmony and prayer.

“Those are noble themes that have been part of his pontificate and I think we would anticipate a strengthening, an affirmation of those resounding themes that have been part of not only his pontificate but of 2,000 years of Church teaching.”