MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – An Berkeley County state senator is among those invited to attend a reception for Pope Francis in Washington D.C. Wednesday at the White House.
Sen. John Unger, an ordained minister, said he believes the invitation came due to his role as pastor at three local churches, all of different denominations, his position as a state senator, and his work as a missionary with Mother Teresa.
“I’m in three different denominations,” Unger said. “That’s the role that I think that I’ll be playing, and happen to be, also a state senator and public policy person.”
A typical Sunday for Unger consist of delivering sermons to congregations St. John’s Lutheran Church in Harpers Ferry, Bolivar Methodist Church and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Harpers Ferry.
He may meet with the pope but says he is not sure how the day will unfold.
“My understanding is that I will be able to meet with the pope, I guess with a number of other folks,” Unger said.
Shortly after being invited to attend the pope’s reception last week Unger received another invitation to return to Washington later this month to meet with President Barack Obama regarding policy issues surrounding poverty and early childhood education.
“It [poverty] really impacts a child’s development,” Unger said. “It will resonate and manifest itself once they reach adulthood.”
Unger will return for that meeting Sept. 30.