Father Linus Nangwele, a Ghanian and priest of the Archdiocese of Tamale is visiting our parish, and has permission from his bishop and Archbishop Chaput to remain in ministry here for a period of two years. With his presence in the parish, we have resumed celebrating both a 6:30 A.M. and a 9:00 A.M. daily, Monday through Friday.

Intentions for the additional Masses being celebrated may be scheduled by contacting Jeanne Flowers.

September 22^nd to 27^th, 2015

Saint John Paul II created the World Meeting of Families in 1994 in Rome to explore the critical role the family plays in society and to give families opportunities to talk about the challenges and blessings that all families have.

Every three years since 1994, families from all over the world are invited by the Holy Father to attend this global gathering. At the conference, families share their thoughts, dialogue and prayers, working together to grow as individuals and family units. Families can participate in discussion groups on the Christian family's role in the church and society, led by many distinguished speakers.

The theme of this World Meeting, September 22-27, 2015, in Philadelphia is "Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive." This will be the first World Meeting of Families in North America, and, although his visit is not confirmed, it is widely believed that Pope Francis will join the meeting at the end of the week and celebrate Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sunday, September 27^th.

Parishioners are asked to participate in preparations for the meeting.

Visit www.worldmeeting2015.org to keep abreast of the latest developments. Scroll down to the bottom of the home page for a comprehensive look at the resources available on this web site.

The Official Prayer of the meeting is available in holy card format, and Archbishop Chaput has asked that we pray that prayer at the beginning of every Mass. The prayer is available for download in 18 languages at www.worldmeeting2015.org/about/prayer.

It is estimated that the Meeting will cost between $8 and $10 million for the administrative structure, publications, venues, security, etc., and, should Pope Francis visit, the cost would rise to around $40 million for additional security, set-up and clean-up of the Parkway, etc. Major individual and corporate donors are being solicited, and a number have already made donations or commitments. However, all are asked to help according to our means.

Many of our visiting families are traveling long distances. The expected attendance — especially if Pope Francis' visit is confirmed — exceeds the hotel room capacity of the Greater Philadelphia area. As an affordable alternative to hotel accommodations and to support the volume of people coming to the Philadelphia area, families located in the Philadelphia region are invited to open their doors to our visitors.

Host Families can host visitors in a spare bedroom, a vacated apartment, etc. Visiting individuals and families can then search the Host Family database to find hosts. Each visiting family will pay a nightly fee to the Host Family.

For more information, at the above web site, scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on "Host a Family" under Get Involved.

The World Meeting of Families will require thousands of volunteers in order to manage the crowds expected. These volunteers will be tasked with managing crowds, assisting visitors, translation services, welcoming committees, etc. By dedicating your valuable time, and sharing your individual talents, you will play a critical role in bringing the joy of the World Meeting to life for other attendees.

There are a variety of different opportunities for volunteering throughout the week, including a significant need for bilingual or multilingual volunteers for translation purposes. For updates on opportunities to Volunteer leave your information at info@WorldMeeting2015.org

Registration for the World Meeting of Families will is now open and includes an "early-bird" discount. Visit the above web site, scroll down to the bottom of the home page and click on "Register" under Plan Your Visit.