WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pope Francis will have a busy schedule on Friday in New York City as he continues his first U.S. tour. His itinerary includes stops at the United Nations, the 9/11 Memorial, an East Harlem School, Central Park and Madison Square Garden.
On Thursday, the Pope was in Washington, D.C. to speak to a Joint Session of Congress.
See the full text of his remarks here.
Later addressing the thousands of people outside the U.S. Capitol, Pope Francis asked for prayers for himself. It’s a request the Pope often makes.
Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall, 02) heard it at the White House Wednesday where he was one of thousands who attended the official arrival ceremony for Pope Francis.
“Some of his messages that he gave to the people when he went up and hugged them was, ‘Pray for me.’ Not that ‘I’ll pray for you,’ but ‘pray for me,'” Kessler said on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
Raised as a Catholic, “I’ve been particularly inspired by this Pope in his openness and willingness to accept all folks in his spirit of, and his message truthfully, of forgiveness and redemption and inclusion,” said Kessler, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
“I was blessed and, hopefully, will take that to my grave.”
Art Moore, principal of St. Francis Central Catholic School, made the trip as well.
“I’ve never been part of a Catholic pilgrimage before and that’s certainly what this is with hundreds of thousands of Catholics down here,” Moore said. “I guess surreal is the word that’s often overused but, when you’re in the moment, that’s about the best word I can describe.”
Moore’s school is named for St. Francis de Sales, not St. Francis of Assisi — the Pope’s namesake. However, “The message that he’s all about is resonant in our school,” Moore said while outside of the U.S. Capitol Thursday.
“He gave a blessing to all the people and (I have) just goose bumps. I’m still, I’m still shaking, there’s so much adrenaline running through me and everybody here actually,” he said.
The schedule for Pope Francis on Friday in New York is as follows:
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
5:00 p.m. Procession through Central Park
6:00 p.m. Mass at Madison Square Garden
On Saturday, Pope Francis will travel to Philadelphia where he’s expected to be greeted by more large crowds.
Organizers are preparing for upwards of 1,000,000 people at Sunday’s Mass for the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It’ll be the final official U.S. event before Pope Francis returns to Rome.