What Is The Pope Up To In The U.S.?

The Pope is in our country! Hooray!

We have been preparing ourselves through mind, body, spirit, and store for the Pope to visit Philadelphia. He has just left Washington D.C. and is heading to NY. In just one and a half more days, Pope Francis will be in Philadelphia!

What has he been up to these days?

Pope Francis started his U.S. adventures in our Nation’s capitol where he spent the past two days. He met with President Obama, first. He arrived Tuesday morning and addressed a vast amount of locals and non-locals alike that flocked to see and hear Pope Francis and President Obama. They commented and complimented each other’s views on current events like war refugees, immigration, and climate change. There’s a lot we can learn from both leaders. What’s unique about this conversation, is the Pope brought out genuine faith rather than speaking on a political agenda. It’s beautiful.

Then, after meeting with Bishops and Seminarians throughout the day, Pope Francis headed to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception where he celebrated Mass and then did something that has never happened before in America… He canonized a saint - Rev. Junipero Serra, a California missionary of the 18th-century.

Pope Francis said, “Having begged the help of divine grace and the opinion of many of our brothers, blessed Junípero Serra we discern and define to be a saint, and we inscribe him in the catalogue of saints, establishing him in the universal church among the saints which should be appealed to with pious devotion.”

On his second day in Washington D.C., Pope Francis addressed a joint meeting of Congress - the first pope to do so. It included many similar factors as the State of the Union address the day before with President Obama. As usual, Pope Francis was well-received by the Congress and was welcomed by a large audience viewing the address outside.

As Pope Francis heads to New York City, we wait patiently and work diligently to ensure his time in Philadelphia goes according to plan. We love the anticipation!

It’s not too late to get your Top Rated National® Pope Memorabilia or other religious goods from St. Jude Shop and head to the World Meeting of Families to get it blessed by Pope Francis himself!