Pope Visit To U.S.: Vatican Confirms Pope Francis Will Arrive In 2015

It is confirmed: the pope’s visit to U.S. hotspots will happen in September of this year. Stops include Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia, as part of Pope Francis’ apostolic visit. This is the pope’s first visit to the U.S.

The Vatican has confirmed the details of the pope’s visit to U.S. President Barack Obama’s home at the White House, as well. Pope Francis will attend a welcoming ceremony on September 23, and he will have a private meeting with Obama afterward. On September 24, the pope will then have a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. While in Washington, Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with several clients of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, according to VOA.

On September 25, Pope Francis will visit the 9/11 memorial. He will also “lead an ecumenical meeting for peace at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York,” according to CNN.

On September 26, Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Philadelphia. He is expected to attend the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families in the city of brotherly love. His journey to Philadelphia will conclude the pope’s visit to U.S. cities, and he will return to Rome.

During the Pope’s visit to U.S. sites, Pope Francis will celebrate mass at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the University Mall at The Catholic University of America.

Pope Francis will canonize an 18th-century Franciscan missionary, Father Junipero Serra, during his visit to the States. Serra led a series of Catholic missions in what is now the Pacific coast of California.

Louisville, Kentucky, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the pope’s visit to the U.S. is “a source of joy and gratitude.”

Former NYC Mayor and 9/11 memorial Chairman Michael Bloomberg is also excited about the pope’s visit to New York.

“His visit will also serve as a marker for how far the World Trade Center has come since Pope Benedict XVI visited the site seven years ago, when it was still an open hole in the ground and closed off to the public. Now, it is a beautiful and inspiring place, a symbol of our rebirth and resilience that is full of life, and that honors the victims of the attacks and tells their stories to the world.”

Pope Francis is scheduled to stop in Cuba before he steps onto U.S. soil for the first time. The pope’s visit to U.S. cities will begin on September 22.

[Photo by Franco Origlia / Getty Images News]