Pope Announces Which US Cities He’ll Visit in September

neneos/iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A number of U.S. cities are preparing to roll out the welcome wagon later this year, when Pope Francis is expected to make his first U.S. trip.

The pope announced in November 2014 that he intended to visit Philadelphia in September 2015, expected to coincide with the World Meeting of Families organized by the Catholic Church. That event, which invites attendees from all over the world, focuses on strengthening family bonds.

In addition to Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C. are also preparing for papal visits.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio released a statement on Monday saying that his city “will be excited and delighted to host Pope Francis during his visit to the United States this September.” De Blasio said that he invited the pope to visit New York during a trip to the Vatican in 2014. “Pope Francis is the leading global voice on issues of social justice and income inequality, and New Yorkers from all backgrounds will be tremendously humbled and honored to hear his message right here in our city later this year,” de Blasio added.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser looks forward to the pope visiting her city as well, a sentiment she shared in a post to her Twitter account. She called the September visit “a historic event for all Washingtonians.”

 

I look forward to welcoming His Holiness @Pontifex to the District. It will be a historic event for all Washingtonians.

— Muriel Bowser (@TeamMuriel) January 19, 2015

The pope announced the three stops on his U.S. trip during a flight back to Rome from a weekend trip to the Philippines.

 

Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.