The Vatican confirmed in November that Pope Francis will make his first visit to the United States to take part in the 8th World Meeting of Families in September.

Held every three years and sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, the World Meeting of Families is the world’s largest Catholic gathering of families. Each World Meeting of Families has a theme that energizes and enlivens the event while adding great depth of meaning to our understanding of families. The theme of the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 – is “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on our society.

There will be two public appearances by the pope.

While full details of Pope Francis’ visit won’t be released until the spring, it’s likely the pope will be a part of the meeting’s closing ceremonies, including the Festival of Families on Saturday, Sept. 26, and a Papal Mass on Sunday, Sept. 27. Both of those events will be held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and will be open to the public.

The parish’s Saturday morning Fishers of Men team is trying to gauge the interest in attending the Mass.

Keep in mind that the Mass is expected to draw 1 million people to Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Having said that, getting to the site in Philadelphia will not be easy.  We plan on traveling by bus.

There are things that you need to consider before making a commitment. It is anticipated that you will have to walk a couple of miles to get to the site of the Mass. In addition you will probably have to stand for a few hours. Preliminary plans will call for us to leave St. Francis Xavier late Saturday, Sept. 26, arriving Sunday morning. Following the Mass, we will depart the area and arrive back at St. Francis Xavier late Sunday night. It is estimated to cost from $100-$200 per person; this will depend on the number of people going.

If interested, send on email to Popevisit2015@aol.com. Please include the name of the person interested, as well as their cell phone number.