Pope Francis arrived to Washington, D.C., this afternoon as scheduled, to a warm welcome from Church leaders and President Barack Obama and his wife and daughters.
The Pope will be officially welcomed to the nation with a ceremony on Wednesday at the White House.
Later in the day, he will meet with bishops of the US and in the evening, canonize Blessed Junípero Serra during a Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
The rest of the Holy Father’s schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, 23 September 2015
9:15 Welcoming ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House
Courtesy Visit to the President of the United States of America
11:30 Meeting with the Bishops of the United States of America at St Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
16:15 Holy Mass and Canonization of Blessed Fr. Junipero Serra at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Thursday, 24 September 2015
9:20 Visit to the Congress of the United States of America
11:15 Visit to the Charitable Center of St. Patrick Parish and meeting with the homeless in Washington, D.C.
16:00 Departure by plane for New York
17:00 Arrival at JFK Airport in New York
18:45 Vespers with the Clergy, Men and Women Religious at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York
Friday, 25 September 2015
08:30 Visit to the Headquarters of the United Nations
11:30 Interreligious encounter at the Ground Zero memorial in New York
16:00 Visit to «Our Lady, Queen of the Angels» School and meeting with children and families of migrants in New York (Harlem)
18:00 Holy Mass at the Madison Square Garden in New York
Saturday, 26 September 2015
08:40 Departure by plane for Philadelphia
09:30 Arrival at the International Airport of Philadelphia
10:30 Holy Mass with the Bishops, Clergy, Men and Women Religious of Pennsylvania gathered at the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul in Philadelphia
16:45 Meeting for Religious Freedom with the Hispanic community and other immigrants at the Independence Mall in Philadelphia
19:30 Festival of families and vigil of prayer at the B. Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia
Sunday, 27 September 2015
09:15 Meeting with bishops taking part in the World Meeting of Families gathered at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia
11:00 Visit to detainees at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia
16:00 Holy Mass concluding the World Meeting of Families at B. Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia
19:00 Greeting to the organizing committee, volunteers and benefactors at the International Airport of Philadelphia
19:45 Farewell ceremony
20:00 Departure by plane from Philadelphia for Rome/Ciampino
Monday, 28 September 2015
10:00 Arrival at Ciampino Airport in Rome
