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Pope Francis To Lead Service At 9/11 Museum, Visit East Harlem School During NYC Visit
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 30, 2015
Modified Jun 30, 2015
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 30, 2015
Modified Jun 30, 2015
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The Vatican has released the itinerary for Pope Francis's trip to the United States this fall, and the Best Pope Ever will be visiting Ground Zero as well as a NYC Catholic school as part of his New York leg. No Wall Street, though, to rid the area of demon spirits.
Pope Francis will be in NYC for basically just one very busy full day; he'll be flying in from Washington D.C. on Thursday, September 24 and will go to Philadelphia on Saturday, September 26. Here's his schedule:
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
5:00 p.m. Arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport
6:45 p.m. Evening Prayer (Vespers) at St. Patrick's Cathedral
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (NEW YORK CITY)
8:30 a.m. Visit to the United Nations and Address to the United Nations General Assembly
11:30 a.m. Multi-religious service at 9/11 Memorial and Museum, World Trade Center
4:00 p.m. Visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School, East Harlem
6:00 p.m. Mass at Madison Square Garden
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 (NEW YORK CITY, PHILADELPHIA)
8:40 a.m. Departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport
According to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, "On Sept. 25, Pope Francis will visit the 9/11 Memorial and, amid a grove of oak trees, pay his respects to the nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and the February 26, 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center. After seeing the Memorial, the Pope will lead a Multireligious Meeting for Peace inside the 9/11 Memorial Museum, where he will gather with local representatives of the world religions to give a common witness to peace. The program will include an address by the Pope, prayers and meditations from various religious traditions."
The service will be held in the Foundation Hall, the same room where President Obama dedicated the museum. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is the 9/11 Memorial's chairman, said, "Pope Francis' visit to the Memorial and Museum will be a special moment for our city. The Memorial and Museum are on track to welcome more than 6.5 million visitors this year, and we're deeply honored that Pope Francis will be among them. His visit will also serve as a marker for how far the World Trade Center has come since Pope Benedict XVI visited the site seven years ago, when it was still an open hole in the ground and closed off to the public. Now, it is a beautiful and inspiring place, a symbol of our rebirth and resilience that is full of life, and that honors the victims of the attacks and tells their stories to the world."
And City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito was particularly pumped about the pontiff's visit to an East Harlem schoo. She said, 'East Harlem is a thriving, inspiring and diverse community filled with people from all over the world and we’re honored that Pope Francis will be visiting Our Lady Queen of Angels School in the fall. Whether it is fighting global poverty, advocating for immigrants or his historic stance on global climate change, Pope Francis has been an international leader in the fight for social justice and we’re thrilled he will be bringing that message to East Harlem. I thank Cardinal Dolan for his advocacy in encouraging the Papal visit and I know the community looks forward to welcoming Pope Francis in the fall."
It's unclear if he'll have time to sneak out for a slice but Pope Francis HAS accepted pizza while riding in the Popemobile:
Tagged
9/11 memorial
east harlem
pope francis
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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