With Pope Francis's visit to America, a number of parishes in the Diocese of San Angelo are doing their part to make sure the Holy Father receives a proper welcome.
More than 50 parishioners representing at least seven churches — St. Mary, San Angelo; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fort Stockton; St. Ann, Midland; St. Stephen, Midland; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Midland; St. Joseph, Stanton; and St. Mary, Brownwood — and one service organization — the Guadalupaña Society from St. Joseph, Stanton
— plan to make the historic trip to the City of Brotherly Love.
The pope's trip, September 22-27, actually grew out of the scheduled World Meeting of Families, September 22-25.
Those making the pilgrimage will be joined by Rev. Serafin Avenido, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Fort Stockton, and Bishop Michael J. Sis. Included in the contingent of travelers to Philadelphia are two deacon couples: Roy and Minnie Ibarra of St. Mary in San Angelo, and Victor and Mary Lopez of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Midland.
The group of 14 Guadalupañas from Stanton has saved up for two years in order to make the trip possible, according to Deacon Clemente Villa.
The pope will speak before the U.S. Congress and the United Nations in stops in Washington and New York City prior to the Philadelphia leg of his journey. In Philadelphia, he will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Saturday, September 26, and will also make appearances at Independence Hall and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
"Anyone listening to the pope during his visit, regardless of his venue, should be willing to listen with an open mind and should be willing to be challenged by his message," said Bishop Sis. "The message he delivers is an attempt to teach the principles of our faith and to encourage all people of any faith to pursue the common good.
"It is important to remember the pope is not a politician; he's a pastor. There will be some during his visit who will seek to bolster their own personal or political agenda. But the pope speaks as a representative of the worldwide Catholic faith, irrespective of any political party or candidate."
Bishop Sis will travel to Washington to hear the pope on what will be the opening portion of the three-city visit.
On Wednesday, September 23, the pope will celebrate the Mass of Canonization of Junipero Serra. The bishop will then attend the World Meeting of Families and, as many other priests and bishops attending, will make himself available to hear confessions in the afternoon on Thursday, September 24. He will attend some of the keynote sessions at the World Meeting of Families and concelebrate Mass with the pope on Sunday.
"The pope's trip will receive a lot of publicity, but the World Meeting of Families is very important and should not be ignored," the bishop said. "There will be a great variety of speakers and presentations that will provide guidance and support for marriage and family life."
Brent Fanning and his wife Bea, of St. Mary in Brownwood, are two of those making the trip to Philadelphia. They see it as a chance of a lifetime.
"Awesome opportunity," Fanning said. "This will give us a chance to grow our spirituality, and our family life, and we are looking to hopefully be able to bring home some information to help our families in our parishes in their love of God and to strengthen their families."
Reports from Philadelphia: The Diocese of San Angelo will provide reports from Philadelphia during the World Meeting of Families and the papal visit, September 22-27, in the form of Bishop Sis' Twitter feed, a blog, photographs, and video interviews posted on YouTube. All blog, video, and photo updates will be accessible via the diocesan website, www.sanangelodiocese.org.