News
Diocese Extends Prayerful Wishes for Holy Father's Historic Visit
Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to arrive in the United States Tuesday, April 15, landing at Andrews Air Force Base, where he will be greeted by President and Mrs. Bush. The Holy Father will spend six days in the country, dividing his time between Washington, D.C., and New York City. Approximately 200 faithful from the Diocese of Raleigh will join with tens of thousands of Catholics from throughout the United States at Papal Masses to be celebrated in the two cities.
The Diocese of Raleigh received 100 tickets for the Papal Mass in the Archdiocese of Washington on Thursday, April 17. It received an allotment of 50 tickets for the Mass to be celebrated in Yankee Stadium, Sunday, April 20, just prior to the Pope’s return to Rome. The Diocese received approximately 800 requests for tickets, with some requests seeking a block of tickets. A drawing was held to award the tickets.
The Archdiocese of Washington invited all dioceses and eparchies to provide a video of welcome to the Holy Father that will be shown on the jumbotron at Nationals Stadium, site of the Papal Mass. The short video was to provide a snapshot of each diocese. The Diocese of Raleigh’s presentation (Windows Media) gives a brief explanation of the growth and diversity of the Church in eastern North Carolina and features eight men, women and students noting the key elements of the Diocesan Mission Statement. It concludes with Bishop Burbidge and a group of approximately 30 faithful extending best wishes to the Holy Father on his historic visit.
On Wednesday evening, Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge and Bishop Emeritus F. Joseph Gossman will be present at a private prayer service and meeting Pope Benedict will have with the nation’s 350 bishops. That prayer service and talk by the Holy Father will take place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
In a letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Raleigh (PDF), Bishop Burbidge requested joining him in prayer that the Holy Father’s message of “Christ our hope,” may provide guidance to “those world leaders who the Holy Father will address” and “those who will hear his talks and homilies at the Papal Masses and other scheduled celebrations.”
On April 17, Pope Benedict will meet with more than 200 heads of Catholic colleges and universities and superintendents of education from Catholic dioceses. The topic will be the importance of Catholic education. Dr. Michael C. Fedewa, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Formation and Education, will attend the event.
On Friday, the Holy Father travels to New York City, where he will address the United Nations General Assembly. His visit to the United States resulted from an invitation from the U.N. Secretary General to address the world organization.
On Saturday, April 19, the Diocese of Raleigh’s two newest ordained priests will participate in a Mass celebrated by the Holy Father at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Father Anthony DeCandia, Parochial Vicar at Saint Patrick Church in Fayetteville, and Father Marco Antonio Gonzalez-Hernandez, Parochial Vicar at Saint Bernadette in Fuquay-Varina, ordained to the Priesthood in June 2007, will represent the Diocese at the Mass. Each Diocese and Religious Order was invited to send two priests, deacons or religious to the liturgy.
That afternoon, 15 of the Diocese’s 19 seminarians will join with seminarians from other dioceses and approximately 20,000 young people at a rally and prayer service with Pope Benedict at Saint Joseph Seminary in Yonkers.
The 15 seminarians will also attend the Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, April 20.
Catholic faithful who will attend the Papal Masses and Diocesan seminarians are being asked to submit reflections on their pilgrimage for selection and use in the NC Catholics magazine and on this special Papal Visit page. Please check back often during the next two weeks for stories, photographs and personal reflections.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is providing a special web site on the Pope’s visit. It includes information on Pope Benedict XVI, facts and figures on the U.S. Church, teaching resources for students from grades school to college, audio and video reports, news stories, and a blog. The web address is www.uspapalvisit.org. EWTN is providing extensive coverage of the Holy Father’s visit at its web site.