Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Washington, DC (Agenzia Fides) - The Church in the United States is working intensely to prepare for the visit of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, which will take place April 15-20. In honor of this event, they have launched a blog with all the information on the Pope’s trip. On March 10, it was launched and it offers an inside view of papal visit preparations, views from the pew, and reflections on the meaning of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States.
The web page also offers abundant general information on the Catholic Church in United States, including statistics on numbers of religious, number of Catholics, Catholic education institutions, ecumenical and inter-religious relations, facts on some of the major dioceses, and more… There are also links to the various sites to be visited on the apostolic trip, information on the Holy Father, and other resources provided by the Archdiocese of Washington.
The web page is also a source of information for the general public, as well as for the media that will be covering the event. Reporters and journalists will have access to useful information, in a special section with exclusive access privileges.
The Holy Father will arrive in the United States on Tuesday, April 15. On Wednesday, there is a scheduled visit to the White House and a meeting with President George Bush. In the afternoon, he will meet with the 350 bishops of the United States in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. On Thursday, April 17, the Pope will celebrate Mass in the new Nationals Park baseball stadium in Washington. This will be the first non-baseball event in the park, and Catholics from around the country are making plans to attend. In the afternoon, he will meet with the heads of the more than 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States and superintendents from the 195 Catholic dioceses, on the campus of The Catholic University of America, the only college in the United States operated by the bishops. That same day, there will be an encounter of Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and representatives of other religions with the Holy Father at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, next door to Catholic University. The next day, the Holy Father will deliver his highly anticipated speech in the United Nations and in the afternoon, there is a scheduled prayer service with leaders from other Christian denominations at St. Joseph's Church, founded by German Catholics, in Manhattan.
On Saturday, April 19, there is a scheduled Mass for priests, deacons and members of religious orders at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, and in the afternoon he will meet with young Catholics. On Sunday, the Holy Father will visit Ground Zero, the site of the disaster at the World Trade Center. Finally, he will celebrate Mass in Yankee Stadium, bringing this historic visit to a close. The 200th anniversary of the Baltimore Archdiocese’s designation as an archdiocese, as well as the birth of four dioceses - Boston, New York, Louisville and Philadelphia - will be highlighted during the Mass. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 13/3/2008; righe 39, parole 514)
