COAL TOWNSHIP - Not since the Beatles invaded America does it seem such nationwide fanfare has erupted for a foreign visitor.
Pope Francis' Wednesday arrival in Washington D.C. was greeting by thousands including President Obama and his family, heralded by a variety of salutes from a very diverse crowd. According to the AP, the president "applauded the 78-year-old pontiff for 'shaking us out of complacency' and giving people confidence to pursue a world that is more love, just and free."
Droves of people will head to Philadelphia this weekend, including Sister Susan Mary Born (IHM), who serves as Catholic chaplain at SCI-Coal Township. The party with whom she is travelling will depart Sunday by bus from Reading. This will be her second pope experience. She had visited Pope John Paul II in 2001 at the Vatican.
At 4 p.m. Sunday, she will attend the closing Mass outside at the Philadelphia Art Museum for the World Meeting of Families 2015.
Sister's stressed there are some challenging areas the church is looking at in modern times and through his visit to the U.S., he is likely laying groundwork for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, set to begin Dec. 8.
She believes Catholics who have been disenchanted are now following, not departing, even assimilating his popularity to a sort of "rockstar status."
Above all, sister believes Francis is illuminating the path back for those who have left the church with focus on prayer and penance and mercy, which is something that hits close to home in her position as Catholic chaplain at SCI-Coal Township.
She says of the prisoners to whom she ministers, "They have been watching since it's been announced. They're very tuned in."
Although she'll not likely to get one-on-one time with his Holiness, given the opportunity she said she would just let him know how important his role is, which is bringing Christ to the world. His presence is not only to enhance the lives of Catholics, but all people of all denominations.
What she'll bring back from her visit, she feels, is "the faith life inspired by the pope's words and his key message of mercy," something that, in her position at the prison, speaks volumes.
In 'red zone'
Born is lucky enough to have tickets to a section called the "red zone," which means she will be within a 3 1/2-mile radius of the altar as he celebrates Mass. Three-and-half miles may seem far, but with expected crowds of 10,000 to 15,0000, it would be comparable to having box seats at a sporting event instead of seated in the "nose-bleed" section.
Asked if she had any qualms about the overwhelming number the faithful who will fill the exterior of the art museum, the amount of time she may have to stand and the distance she may have to walk in order to reach her spot, sister doesn't mind at all.
"I'll be so caught up in the aura and excitement," she said, "that nothing will matter."
According to its website, The World Meeting of Families is "held every three years and sponsored by the Holy See's Pontifical Council for the Family, the World Meeting of Families is the world's largest Catholic gathering of families. Each World Meeting of Families has a theme that energizes and enlivens the event while adding great depth of meaning to our understanding of families. The theme of the World Meeting of Families - Philadelphia 2015 is "Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive," emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on our society.