Prepping for the Pope: How Delmarva prepared for the Pontiff
It’s a momentous occasion that warrants sufficient preparation. The Pope’s next stop in Philadelphia will be his biggest. One that Catholics across Delmarva have been preparing for, both logistically and spiritually.
“I wanted to make sure that my family was going to experience this transformational individual.”, Said Matthew Zink of Dover, DE.
Zink tells 47 ABC that that he and his family of five were overjoyed when they found out that they would all be riding a train to Philadelphia on Sunday for the Papal Visit.
His family, along with 350,000 others, were awarded with regional rail (train) lottery passes for the pontiff’s visit to Philly.
Zink credits the good luck to preparation and swift action, something that may now allow his family catch a glimpse of a man he feels is nothing short of revolutionary.
“We knew that it was something we as a family had to do.” And “My wife was very forceful in getting on this aspect making sure our names, as soon as the open time was available, that our names were going to be placed into the lottery.”, said Zink.
Logistics aside, when the holy father of the Roman Catholic Church comes to town, the faithful had better be spiritually prepped as well. We’re told this Pope has a unique, yet simple, message that appeals to many, regardless of religion.
Bishop Francis Malooly, of the Diocese of Wilmington, tells 47 ABC that he’s received positive feedback about the Pope from members of other faiths, saying, “I probably get more comments from my Jewish and Protestant friends, than I do from Catholics.” and “He just wants use to be apart of the people, he wants us to not be sitting in offices, but be out in the hospitals.”
Bishop Malooly, who presides over the Catholic Churches of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, asked all parishes within the diocese take part in spiritual activities leading up to the Papal visit.
Throughout the past week, local churches like Saint Francis De Sales in Salisbury, took part in a “Holy Hour of Success” prayer service, while grade schools like the Holy Cross School in Dover paraded in the streets in honor of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia at 9:30AM tomorrow morning and will eventually make his way to the Festival of Families on the Ben Franklin Parkway.
