Philadelphia, PA – He came, saw and spread the message of the Catholic church. It was a message that united Catholics and the people of Philadelphia on this historic occasion.
Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church, is also, the first Latin American Pope. He landed in Philadelphia, on the tail end of his American trip, following his visits to Washington DC and New York City.
The Pope arrived on Saturday, September 26 and spoke at Independence Hall before celebrating at the Festival of Families, a massive free party and concert held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The evening concluded with the first Papal parade around the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The second Papal parade took place on Sunday afternoon, which saw his parade route take him around city hall and the Benjamin Franklin parkway before ending at the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Pope Francis then celebrated Mass with hundreds of thousands in the streets of the City of Brotherly Love, closing his historic six-day visit to the U.S. where he drew big and enthusiastic crowds wherever he went. The event energized the city and placed Philadelphia on the world stage.
Images courtesy of Jeffrey Bruno.