By Natalie Pompilio
Associated Press December 26, 2014
A quick look at the to-do list of a city preparing for a papal visit:
- Design and print Mass booklets, about 2 million of them in multiple languages
- Solicit volunteers, at least 7,000 but as many as 10,000. Do background checks on each one.
- Stock up on Communion wafers. Again, millions.
Pope Francis’ scheduled trip to Philadelphia is still nine months away, but planning for his first US visit began months ago. Preparing for the event, predicted to draw more than 1 million people to the city, is an exhausting, multiagency effort.
“Over the last two months, I’ve probably averaged four hours of sleep a night,” said Helen Osman, communications secretary for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “It’s a lot of coordinating and making sure everyone has everything they need, down to the minutia. The one thing you think doesn’t matter can create a domino effect and just cascade.”
The papal visit comes as part of the World Meeting of Families, a triennial event organized by the Pontifical Council for Families and to be held this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center downtown from Sept. 22 to 27. Organizers said they plan to rely on donations for their $45 million budget, with about half of that amount raised by mid-December.
The pontiff is expected to arrive as the congress ends to take part in the main closing event, the Festival of Families. The next day, he will lead a public Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a main city thoroughfare that has hosted numerous outdoor concerts and events.
Organizers got a head start on planning before the pope officially announced his visit in November. The pope himself provided inside information when Gov. Tom Corbett attended a Vatican meeting in March, when he whispered in the governor’s ear: “I will come,” according to Susan Corbett, Pennsylvania’s first lady.
Planning for the Pope’s trip to Philadelphia is well underway | Crux
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