Pope Francis is coming to Philadelphia.
Every bench in the park in front of the cathedral is a bed for the homeless.
“The joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well” (Gaudium et spes 1).
The Vicar of Christ comes to the city.
Street lamps are festooned with banners with the sayings of Pope Francis.
A thousand security cameras are installed along Ben Franklin Parkway.
In honor of the pope’s visit, Father Bob Simon of Scranton Diocese spends a year constructing a miniature Saint Peter’s Basilica out of Legos.
Artist Meg Saligman erects a participatory work of art, “Mercy and Justice: Undoing the Knots,” inviting passersby to share a burden of their own and help loosen the burden of another.
“Nothing that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts” (GS 1).
Evergreen Exhibitions mounts an exhibit of Vatican art and artifacts.
Endless Summer Productions abandons a plan to rent temporary overnight lots in Fairmont Park for papal visitors at exorbitant rates, for lack of interest.
The archdiocese makes final preparations to welcome the pope to the World Meeting of Families.
LGBT-friendly Whosoever Metropolitan Community Church mounts a peaceful protest outside the cathedral to turn the heart and mind of Archbishop Chaput from his endorsement of conversion therapy (the attempt to change homosexual orientation).
Prisoners at the Curran-Fromhold Correction Facility prepare for the pope’s visit.
“For theirs is a community of people united in Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit in their pilgrimage towards the Father’s kingdom, bearers of a message of salvation for all of humanity. That is why they cherish a feeling of deep solidarity with the human race and history” (GS 1).
Photos by Brother Charles
Cummins Institute 
A wonderful exhibit of what is to come !!!!
Nicely done Charles!!
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Beautifully done, Br. Charles! Your pictures and text wonderfully demonstrate the incredibly diverse impact the Pontiff’s visit is having, not only on us in the U.S., but throughout the entire world. Many thanks!
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Thank you Br. Charles for reminding us of the complexities of human life and the “Power of Hope” that Pope Francis brings. He is giving the world a “Human and Christian Education” that is central to our Brothers’ vows.
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This is beautiful – almost as good as “being there!” I will have to tell Dexter about the Saint Peter’s Basilica out of Legos!
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