Assessing the cost (and benefits) of hosting a Pope

Long after the Pope has left, New York city tallies up the financial costs (and benefits) of his visit - Michael Frazier of Newsday reports:

Hours after Benedict's departure, city officials continued to measure the economic benefits of his stay. They also are tallying how much it cost the city to host his holiness.

The city expected to pay significant overtime for police officers.

"This is one of those things were the expenses are relatively negligible, virtually impossible to measure, but the benefits will go on for a long time," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, pointing to the global exposure the city gained by welcoming Benedict.

While he didn't provide the cost of overtime, the mayor said the city's Police Department has a yearly budget of $5.5 billion, with funding set aside for special events.

Police officials said Monday that overtime cost hadn't been figured. ...

The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce had no figures on how much the city took in during Benedict's trip, though the group's executive director, Helana Natt, said hotels, restaurants and even street vendors profited.

The street closures may have hurt some businesses, but the impact was dampened because the visit occurred over the weekend, Natt said.

According to New York City officials, Pope John Paul II's visit in 1995 totaled "$65 million in spending in the city, including food, hotels and shopping."

Departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport

What's Happening Today: Sunday, April 20
8-8:30 p.m. - Departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

Approximately 3,250 guests will bid farewell to the Pope in Hangar 19 of JFK airport.

• 8:00 p.m. - The Pope arrives via motorcade. Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio, bishop of Brooklyn, gives a welcome.

  Dignitaries

  • Cardinal Edward M. Egan, archbishop of New York
  • Bishop William F. Murphy, bishop of Rockville Centre
  • Bishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the U.S.
  • Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations
  • Representative of the president of the United States [VP Richard Cheney]
  • Representatives of state and local governments

  Program

  • Address by President Bush’s representative [VP Richard Cheney]
  • Farewell by Pope Benedict XVI
  • Presentation by Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio and schoolchildren
• 8:30 p.m. - Departure via Shepherd One

The USCCB's blog reports on the Pope's departure:

Pope Benedict XVI concluded his apostolic journey to the United States this evening, departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport aboard Shepherd One at approximately 8:45 p.m. (EDT).

Pope Benedict arrived at the airport by helicopter. More than three thousand people were in attendance to bid farewell to the Holy Father. While waiting for the Holy Father to arrive, the people participated in a program of prayer and music produced by the Diocese of Brooklyn. ...

Vice President Cheney thanked the Holy Father for his visit. He said that, though the nation faces many challenges, it has innumerable blessings. He assured the Holy Father that he will always be welcome in the United States. He thanked him for his message of hope and salvation. He bid him a safe journey and asked him to pray for the United States.

Pope Benedict gave a brief address thanking U.S. Catholics for their hospitality and for their witness of faith and devotion. He thanked all those responsible for planning the visit. The Holy Father concluded his visit with these words: “I ask you to remember me in your prayers, and I assure you of my affection and friendship in the Lord. May God bless America!” The people responded with a standing ovation. .

Several children, accompanied by Bishop DiMarzio, gave the Holy Father bouquets of flowers.

Pope Benedict is scheduled to arrive in Rome late Monday morning. May God grant him a safe journey.

Text of Pope Benedict XVI's address - John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport (Departure Ceremony):

The time has come for me to bid farewell to your country. These days that I have spent in the United States have been blessed with many memorable experiences of American hospitality, and I wish to express my deep appreciation to all of you for your kind welcome. It has been a joy for me to witness the faith and devotion of the Catholic community here. It was heart-warming to spend time with leaders and representatives of other Christian communities and other religions, and I renew my assurances of respect and esteem to all of you. I am grateful to President Bush for kindly coming to greet me at the start of my visit, and I thank Vice-President Cheney for his presence here as I depart. The civic authorities, workers and volunteers in Washington and New York have given generously of their time and resources in order to ensure the smooth progress of my visit at every stage, and for this I express my profound thanks and appreciation to Mayor Adrian Fenty of Washington and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York.

Once again I offer prayerful good wishes to the representatives of the see of Baltimore, the first Archdiocese, and those of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville, in this jubilee year. May the Lord continue to bless you in the years ahead. To all my Brother Bishops, to Bishop DiMarzio of this Diocese of Brooklyn, and to the officers and staff of the Episcopal Conference who have contributed in so many ways to the preparation of this visit, I extend my renewed gratitude for their hard work and dedication. With great affection I greet once more the priests and religious, the deacons, the seminarians and young people, and all the faithful in the United States, and I encourage you to continue bearing joyful witness to Christ our Hope, our Risen Lord and Savior, who makes all things new and gives us life in abundance. ... (Read More)

Coverage & Commentary

• Cheney, the Clintons and Others Bid Farewell to Pope at Airport by Sewell Chan. New York Times' "City Room" April 20, 2008.

• Catholic News Service reveals that After all the speeches were over and the VIPs had gone home, Pope Benedict XVI had a final U.S. send-off from 36 grade-schoolers in Virginia:

  Homemade cards from the third- and fourth-graders of St. William of York Catholic School in Stafford, Va., were given to the pope aboard his Alitalia plane after he left New York April 20.

  The cards, made of colorful construction paper, offered a spiritual bouquet and birthday wishes to the pope, who turned 81 during his April 15-20 visit to Washington and New York.

Pope Benedict XVI's Mass at Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)

What's Happening Today: Sunday, April 20
2:30 p.m. - Mass at Yankee Stadium
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

Pre Mass Concert | Yankee Ministers (Via USCCB - PDF format)

The 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s designation as an archdiocese (the nation’s first), as well as the birth of four other archdioceses: New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Bardstown (now Louisville) will be highlighted during the Mass.

• 9:00 a.m. - Gates open
• 12:00 noon - The pre-Mass concert begins
• 2:15 p.m. - The Pope arrives
• 2:20 p.m. - The Pope travels around the track inside the stadium in the popemobile
• 2:30 p.m. - Mass begins
• 5:00 p.m. - Mass ends

Text of Pope Benedict XVI's homily at Yankee Stadium Papal Mass:

... The first reading also makes clear, as we see from the imposition of hands on the first deacons, that the Church's unity is "apostolic". It is a visible unity, grounded in the Apostles whom Christ chose and appointed as witnesses to his resurrection, and it is born of what the Scriptures call "the obedience of faith" (Rom 1:5; cf. Acts 6:7).

"Authority", "obedience". To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a "stumbling stone" for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ - "the way and the truth and the life" - we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. "In his will is our peace".

Real freedom, then, is God's gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on "the mind of Christ" (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the "apostolate" of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to God's saving plan.

This magnificent vision of a world being transformed by the liberating truth of the Gospel is reflected in the description of the Church found in today's second reading. The Apostle tells us that Christ, risen from the dead, is the keystone of a great temple which is even now rising in the Spirit. And we, the members of his body, through Baptism have become "living stones" in that temple, sharing in the life of God by grace, blessed with the freedom of the sons of God, and empowered to offer spiritual sacrifices pleasing to him (cf. 1 Pet 2:5). And what is this offering which we are called to make, if not to direct our every thought, word and action to the truth of the Gospel and to harness all our energies in the service of God's Kingdom? Only in this way can we build with God, on the one foundation which is Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:11). Only in this way can we build something that will truly endure. Only in this way can our lives find ultimate meaning and bear lasting fruit. ...

Coverage & Commentary

• Benedict Celebrates Mass at Yankee Stadium, by Sewell Chan. New York Times' "City Room" - continually updated during the course of the Mass.

• Discussion: Open Yankee Stadium Liturgy Thread @ Amy Welborn's.

• New Liturgical Movement provides ongoing images and commentary of the Pope's Mass in New York City.

• Canterbury Tales provides us with The Music for the Papal Mass in New York City -- it appears that Dr. Jennifer Pascual (Director of Music) has been far more attentive in choosing what the Pope would appreciate in accordance with his writings on the liturgy.
• Build on 'impressive legacy' of U.S. church, pope urges at final Mass Catholic News Service. April 20, 2008:

  Honoring the bicentennial of four U.S. archdioceses, Pope Benedict XVI praised the "solid foundations" of the American Catholic Church and said "the future of the church in America" must continue to build on that "impressive legacy."

  But in his homily for the final Mass of his April 15-20 U.S. visit, the pope also said the "impressive growth" of the U.S. church has been "not without its challenges," comparing those challenges to the "linguistic and cultural tensions" found in the early church. ...

  [Benedict] said the bicentennial should be "more than an occasion of gratitude for graces received."

  "It is also a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming generations," he said.

"Agent of God" helps a boy meet Benedict

'Agent' of God helps boy meet Benedict April 20, 2008, by Christina Boyle. New York Daily News:

When Beverly Ruiz and her wheelchair-bound son arrived outside St. Patrick's Cathedral early Saturday they had no hope of getting inside.

But all that changed when 9-year-old Aaron, who has muscular dystrophy, caught the eye of one of the Secret Service agents safeguarding Pope Benedict.

Just moments before the historic Mass began, the federal agent singled out the mother and son and whisked them into the house of worship.

"After the Holy Father arrived and went inside, a man came up to us and said, 'We have a special place for you,'" Ruiz told the Daily News. ...

After celebrating Mass, Benedict walked over to Aaron.

"He came over and blessed him, and my son just smiled," Ruiz said. "It's just a miracle in itself, there's no way to describe it. It's just an absolute miracle that this happened in our lives."

217 miles, 7 hour wait -- for a glimpse of the Pope

To Look, Perchance to Glimpse (on Tiptoe), by Manny Fernandez. New York Times April 20, 2008:

Ely Rivera drove 217 miles and waited nearly seven hours to see Pope Benedict XVI. In the end, at 8:56 a.m. on Saturday, when the big moment came, she thought not of herself, or of her church, or even of her four children or 14 grandchildren.

She thought of a woman she had never met: a co-worker’s ailing mother. “For her to get better,” Ms. Rivera said.

She had never seen a pope in person. She stepped up on the railing of a metal police barricade as the crowd roared and snapped a picture with her disposable camera, one of thousands of people lining Fifth Avenue outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. She saw him, dressed in white, seated in the back seat of a black car, on the passenger side, on his way to celebrate Mass. And just like that, it was over ... (Read More)

Awaiting The Pope

People watch the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI for a prayer service with family members of some of those who were killed on 9/11 at Ground Zero April 20, 2008 in New York City. (Getty Images)

"The Spires of St. Patrick's"

The spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God.

Pope Benedict XVI, April 19, 2008

Mass for Clergy & Religious at Saint Patrick's Cathedral

What's Happening Today: Saturday, April 19 (3rd Anniversary of Pope Benedict's Pontificate)
9-11:15 a.m. - Mass for Clergy and Religious at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward M. Egan. It is the largest decorated gothic-style Catholic cathedral in the United States and has been recognized throughout its history as a center of Catholic life in this country.

• 9:00 a.m. - Arrival and welcome at main entrance of Cathedral. The Pope will be welcomed by Cardinal Edward M. Egan and Msgr. Robert Ritchie, Cathedral rector. Participating in the Mass will be 3,000 deacons, priests and religious men and women from throughout the United States. At least two representatives from each diocese in the country will be present.

Photo credit: Reuters

Text of Pope Benedict XVI's Homily at Holy Mass, St. Patrick's Cathedral, NY:

... Gathered as we are in this historic cathedral, how can we not think of the countless men and women who have gone before us, who labored for the growth of the Church in the United States, and left us a lasting legacy of faith and good works? In today’s first reading we saw how, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles went forth from the Upper Room to proclaim God’s mighty works to people of every nation and tongue. In this country, the Church’s mission has always involved drawing people “from every nation under heaven” (cf. Acts 2:5) into spiritual unity, and enriching the Body of Christ by the variety of their gifts. As we give thanks for past blessings, and look to the challenges of the future, let us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost for the Church in America. May tongues of fire, combining burning love of God and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, descend on all present!

In this morning’s second reading, Saint Paul reminds us that spiritual unity – the unity which reconciles and enriches diversity – has its origin and supreme model in the life of the triune God. As a communion of pure love and infinite freedom, the Blessed Trinity constantly brings forth new life in the work of creation and redemption. The Church, as “a people made one by the unity of the Father, the Son and the Spirit” (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4), is called to proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life. Here in this cathedral, our thoughts turn naturally to the heroic witness to the Gospel of life borne by the late Cardinals Cooke and O’Connor. The proclamation of life, life in abundance, must be the heart of the new evangelization. For true life – our salvation – can only be found in the reconciliation, freedom and love which are God’s gracious gift.

This is the message of hope we are called to proclaim and embody in a world where self-centeredness, greed, violence, and cynicism so often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people’s hearts. Saint Irenaeus, with great insight, understood that the command which Moses enjoined upon the people of Israel: “Choose life!” (Dt 30:19) was the ultimate reason for our obedience to all God’s commandments (cf. Adv. Haer. IV, 16, 2-5). Perhaps we have lost sight of this: in a society where the Church seems legalistic and “institutional” to many people, our most urgent challenge is to communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love.

At the end of the Mass, Pope Benedict (speaking with characteristic humility) expressed his personal thanks:

“At this moment I can only thank you for your love of the Church and Our Lord, and for the love which you show to the poor Successor of Saint Peter. I will try to do all that is possible to be a worthy successor of the great Apostle, who also was a man with faults and sins, but remained in the end the rock for the Church. And so I too, with all my spiritual poverty, can be for this time, in virtue of the Lord’s grace, the Successor of Peter.

It is also your prayers and your love which give me the certainty that the Lord will help me in this my ministry. I am therefore deeply grateful for your love and for your prayers. My response now for all that you have given to me during this visit is my blessing, which I impart to you at the conclusion of this beautiful Celebration.”

Coverage

• Ongoing coverage of the St. Patrick's Mass for religious and seminarians courtesy of The New Liturgical Movement. Jeffrey Tucker:

  It brings joy to the heart to see the Pope during the recessional with a look of exuberant happiness, with glorious music, following an exceptionally well-done liturgy, that was mostly sung, with chant from the Graduale in which everyone participated, including the Communion proper and some wonderful presentations of many centuries of sacred music.

  This was the sound of Catholicism, with majesty fitting for the Pope. Nothing on this earth is as powerful a witness to the faith.

• From The Recovering Choir Director the list of music for today’s Votive Mass for the Universal Church at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, "with links, audio, and scriptural sources for illustrative and educational purposes."
• Amy Welborn (New York Times "A Papal Discussion"): Speaking of vintage, the homily at St. Patrick’s Cathedral today, to a congregation of priests and religious, was, indeed, classic Benedict. Heaven Touches Earth: Papal Liturgy at Saint Patrick’s, by Deacon Keith Fournier. Catholic Online April 19, 2008:

  In a profound homily, the Holy Father spoke of the essential role of the Holy Spirit. In his unique manner he presented deeply theological truths in an accessible manner.

  The homily was a theological exposition of Ecclesiology, the theology of the Church, Soteriology, the theology of salvation and conversion and Pneumatology, the theology of the work of the Holy Spirit. Yet, it was not academic, it was both understandable and inspiring.

  It is this ability of Pope Benedict XVI which has shone throughout all of his homilies during this apostolic visit to the United States. He is truly gifted with an ability to articulate deep theological truth in a manner which can be easily understood by the faithful. ...

Good things come to those who wait.

Several hundred young adults holding a vigil behind the security perimeter around the house where Pope Benedict XVI was staying were rewarded April 18 with a papal handshake, according to the Catholic News Service:

Members of the Sisters of Life, a religious order founded by the late Cardinal John J. O'Connor of New York, organized young people from three New York parishes to keep a vigil at the residence where Pope Benedict was staying.

"Some just came out of curiosity," but there also were members of the Legionaries of Christ, playing guitars and beating drums, and members of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, she said.

Obviously, Osman said, they had let archdiocesan officials know of their plans and at about 8 p.m., the U.S. Secret Service began allowing small groups to pass the traffic blockade and approach the residence.

Pope Benedict came outside "after dinner" at about 9 p.m., said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.

The pope spent about 10 minutes shaking hands with the young religious and other young adults who got the Secret Service nod.

(Via ) -- ABC 7 has video footage of the Pope's mingling with New Yorkers.

Touchdown @ JFK

Screenshot credit: Gothamist (best New Yorker local news/gossip blog ever - Chris)

Pope Benedict XVI Arrives in New York City

What's Happening Today: Friday, April 18
8:30-10:00 a.m. - Movement to New York City
NOTE: This post will be updated as more information becomes available on this topic.

• 8:30 a.m. - Departure from Andrews Air Force Base.
• 9:45 a.m. - Arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport (Diocese of Brooklyn). Cardinal Edward M. Egan, archbishop of New York and Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio, bishop of Brooklyn will welcome Pope Benedict. Two school children will present flowers to the Pope: Kaitlin Karcher, eighth-grader at Our Lady of Grace School, Gravesend, Brooklyn and Christopher Jordan, fifth-grader at Divine Mercy Catholic Academy, Ozone Park, Queens.

Dignitaries

• Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations
• Bishop William F. Murphy, bishop of Rockville Centre
• Bishop Gregory John Mansour, eparch of Saint Maron of Brooklyn for Maronites
• Bishop Manuel Batakian, eparch of Our Lady of Nareg in New York for Armenian Catholics
• Bishop Thomas V. Daily, bishop emeritus of Brooklyn
• State and local government representatives

Catholic New York - Recommended Historical Sites & Parishes

• Catholic New York's "pride of place" goes to St. Patrick's Cathedral, located on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in New York City:

  St. Patrick's Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of New York, Edward M. Egan. It is the largest decorated gothic-style Catholic Cathedral in the United States and has been recognized throughout its history as a center of Catholic life in this country.

  The Cathedral was begun in 1858 by Archbishop John Hughes to replace the original St. Patrick's Cathedral, which in 1879 became -- and is still used today as -- a parish church in New York.

  "Old St. Patrick's" is located in “The Heart of Old New York” in the rapidly changing neighborhoods of Little Italy, Chinatown, and SOHO.

• St. Peter's -- New York's earliest Catholic church, dating back to 1785 when one priest served the city's 200 Catholics. The church's cornerstone was laid in 1785, and the first solemn Mass was celebrated in St. Peter's in 1786 -- nearly three years before George Washington — standing less than a mile away on an open-air balcony of Federal Hall (the nation's first capitol) — took the the oath of office as the first president of the United States. In 1800, it opened the first Catholic school in the state of New York.

• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine @ Our Lady of the Rosary 7 State Street, New York, NY | GoogleMap - Elizabeth Ann Seton was founder of the Catholic parochial school system in the United States and The Sisters of Charity. She was heralded by Archbishop Kenrick as one who "did more for the church in America than all of us bishops together." In 1975 she was canonized in Rome as America's first native-born American saint.

• St. Francis Xavier Cabrini is the first United States citizen to be elevated to sainthood (1850-1970):

  Mother Cabrini has a double claim on our interest. Foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and pioneer worker for the welfare of dispersed Italian nationals, this diminutive nun was responsible for the establishment of nearly seventy orphanages, schools, and hospitals, scattered over eight countries in Europe, North, South, and Central America.

  The St. Frances Cabrini Shrine | GoogleMap which houses her remains is located at 701 Fort Washington Ave., overlooking the banks of the Hudson River and neighboring New Jersey.

• The Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park | GoogleMap, which house 5,000 works of art, including the famed Unicorn Tapestries, illuminated manuscripts, saints' relics and paintings (view highlights):

  The building housing the collection is itself a work of medieval art. It is a composite structure, incorporating elements from five medieval French cloisters: Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Bonnefont-en-Comminges, Trie-en-Bigorre, and Froville. These disassembled European buildings were reassembled in Fort Tryon Park (1934/38) in a setting with gardens planted according to horticultural information culled from various medieval documents and artifacts.

• Church of Our Savior 59 Park Ave. at 38th Street is home to the Reverend George William Rutler, whom you might remember for his regular column in the now defunct Crisis magazine or appearances on EWTN. He was appointed pastor of Our Savior by Cardinal Egan in September, 2001. If you're looking for a good, solid orthodox-friendly mass in Midtown (no liturgical abuses and "funny stuff"), this is your place. George Weigel devoted a column to it in 2005 series "Catholicism's Great Places" -- on Fr. Rutler's commissioning for the parish of a twenty-four foot tall Christos Pantokrator based on the great icon of that style at St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai. [Photo by Gerald Augustinus].
  

• Corpus Christi Church 529 West 121st Street, just east of Broadway | GoogleMap - famous in part for being the site of the baptism of Trappist Monk and Catholic mystic Thomas Merton in 1938 (author of The Seven Storey Mountain.

  Corpus Christi's website in fact maintains a page of quotes by Thomas Merton about their parish, including his recollection of the Mass, written in 1948:

  The words, songs, ceremonies, signs, movements of worship are all designed to open the mind and heart of the participant to this experience of oneness in Christ. One reason why I am a Catholic, a monk and a priest today is that I first went to Mass, and kept going to Mass, in a Church where these things were realized. . . . There was nothing new or revolutionary about it; only that everything was well done, not out of aestheticism or rubrical obsessiveness, but out of love for God and His truth. It would certainly be ingratitude of me of I did not remember the atmosphere of joy, light, and at least relative openness and spontaneity that filled Corpus Christi at solemn High Mass.

• Of historical interest to Catholic Workers and admirers of Dorothy Day, but probably not destinations for the regular Catholic tourist: The Catholic Worker newspaper headquarters are at St. Joseph's House at 36 E. First St. | GoogleMap. Dorothy Day herself is buried on Staten Island, in the Resurrection Cemetery, and lived her last years at Maryhouse, at 55 E. Third St. | GoogleMap, a "hospitality house" that still provides services to the poor.

The above list was compiled chiefly with the help of the Associated Press article: Catholic heritage in New York and Washington DC, mentioning a few sites worth visiting for "papal tourists."

To it I would have to add one of my personal favorites -- Church of St. Francis of Assisi | GoogleMaps -- located near Penn Station on 31st Street. Here's an apt description from the National Catholic Reporter:

Every weekday morning from crack of dawn on, thousands of people run, dawdle, drift or race up the escalators and stairs out of Penn Station, out into Manhattan, off to work. Add the New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority bus station crowds, and in a three-hour period hundreds of thousands of commuters, roughly 25 percent of them Catholic, converge on this part of New York City.

Coffee containers in one hand, bags and briefcases in the other, ignoring everything and everyone, the tidal wave of humanity funnels up West 32nd Street, with a smaller eddy along West 31st Street.

Either way, they pass an entrance to St. Francis of Assisi Church. Some on West 32nd Street turn sharp right into the church. Many just touch the head, heels or hands -- all burnished yellow from the gesture -- of the kneeling bronze statue of St. Francis in the little courtyard.

Others slip downstairs to attend one of the 13 daily liturgies -- the first at 6 a.m., the last at 5:30 p.m. -- or the popular 8:10 a.m. Liturgy of the Hours.

Where in the world (shrines apart) is there another church with no registered parishioners that has a pastor and 20 assistants, offers confessions 13 hours a day and utilizes 520-plus volunteers -- 250 for liturgical duties, 270 for social outreach? and has Br. Sebastian Tobin, a non-ordained friar, making sandals in the basement. This is a commuters' church such as is possible only in New York.

[...]

St. Francis of Assisi Church, one of the city's oldest, opened 156 years ago as a German parish. All that has changed in a century and a half is the nationality of the immigrants. German, Irish and Italian in the 19th century; in the 21st, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese, African, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Central and Eastern European.

This church attracts the earlier immigrants (whose families have dashed up Penn Central steps for two, three and four generations) to pray -- and they help out the new immigrants. The friars provide the essential spiritual and social services in between.

To the New York archdiocese, St. Francis is a parish. To the Franciscans, it's a "service church," a mission of the Manhattan-based Franciscan Holy Name Province that covers the U.S. East Coast.

When I first moved to New York (almost a decade ago) I used to live on 30th street, and hence became a regular attendee -- nowadays if I'm in the area I'll still go back, either for confession (tell me, where else can you find the sacrament of reconciliation available practically all day long?) or to take in their mass, situated underneath a beautiful, awe-inspiring mosaic of the Holy Mother crushing the dragon with her heel, surrounded by Francis, St. Clare and the rest of the saints.

Catholic New York Resources:

• I don't mind a reverently celebrated Novus Ordo myself, but if you prefer that of Blessed Pope John XXIII, see Ecclesia Dei
• U.S. Catholic Parishes Online Directory and Mass Times [or] Archdiocese of New York Parish Finder
• Catholic New York Diocesian newspaper.
• Q: what is a good parish in the New York City area to go for Mass? - Discussion at Amy Welborn's (old) blog. April 1, 2007.
• Pauline Books & Media 150 E. 52nd St. - run by the Daughters of St. Paul. Best place I know for good Catholic texts by and about Pope Benedict XVI, along with a host of others.

NOTE: I've only been to Washington DC once, and that was decades ago on a family outing with the parents. Consequently, I'm hoping DC Catholic bloggers -- I don't want to put any on the spot, so I won't name names -- might tackle something similar in preparation for the Pope's visit.

Likewise, if any resident New York Catholic bloggers want to add their "recommended "Pope-friendly" parishes" (I've already received inquiries as to such), feel free to do so in the combox below.

How do you do Communion for 57,000? - "Safe, Reverent and Timely"

Candles, Clergy and Communion for 57,000 New York Times, by Sewell Chan. April 12, 2008:

With all its spiritual, political and cultural significance, the six-day visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Washington and New York next week is also a daunting logistical operation involving everything from candles and catering to cellphones and ciboria, the metal receptacles that hold communion wafers. Coordinating these and other details are high-ranking clergy, Hollywood producers and veterans of political advance teams, who will communicate in New York via two-way radios that double as cellphones and are equipped with global positioning satellite devices.

Among the profound — and mundane — questions they are confronting: How do 530 priests and deacons give communion to 57,000 people in 14 minutes?

“I just want to make sure it’s done reverently and safely,” the Rev. Msgr. Wallace A. Harris, the event coordinator for the Sunday afternoon Mass at Yankee Stadium on April 20, said at a practice Wednesday afternoon.

For starters, the priests — who are coming from as far away as Australia and Alaska — are assigned based on dates of birth, with the youngest (and most able-bodied) assigned to the upper deck, where stairs are narrow and steep and the winds are strongest. Leading priests on the upper deck will be the Rev. Kevin Malick, 28, who is from Staten Island, was ordained last May, works in a parish in New City, N.Y., and is a Mets fan. “I have a level head and a lot of common sense,” Father Malick said. “I’m not book smart, but I’m good at yelling at people.”

His counterpart on the field level, where the eldest priests are assigned, the Rev. Joseph E. Franco, who works at a Yankee-loving Bronx parish, warned five other priests at Wednesday’s rehearsal: “Remember, this isn’t a Yankees game, this is going to be an older crowd.”

Making Communion "Safe, Reverent and Timely"

On Sunday, April 20, about 57,000 people are expected to participate in Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI. One challenge is how 530 priests and deacons will distribute wafers in 14 minutes, the time set aside for communion. The Archdiocese has a video [click link for excerpts] to guide priests and attendants through the process.

(Courtesy of the New York Times).

Safeguarding the Pope

How do you plan for a Pope who's been accused by Al Qaeda of launching a Crusade" against Islam? -- with every resource you can muster, according to the New York Times in an article on the extensive security measures taken during the papal visit:

All the locations will be swept for bombs. Some other measures will be visible: scuba divers in the East River, counter-snipers patrolling rooftops, helicopters, and armored limousines.

Other measures will not be visible, like undercover detectives mingling in crowds or officers carrying pager-sized radiation detectors on their belts.

“We don’t talk about means and methods,” said Darrin L. Blackford, a special agent with the Secret Service in Washington. “But we will devote a lot of resources to it.”

Secret Service agents, the pope’s own Swiss Guard security forces and several thousand officers from the New York Police Department will share the daily job of safeguarding the pope, leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the head of state of Vatican City. ...

“Any time a major world figure visits a city of 8 million people, there are enormous complexities, but New York is used to this,” said Michael A. L. Balboni, New York State’s deputy secretary for public safety, who has offered the city help from the state, including communications vans, specialized National Guard units and state troopers.

“What has us focused with this trip, is the post-9/11 paradigm of threat information along with the iconic structures and high visibility targets,” Mr. Balboni said.

Related

• NY1 News Video: Papal Security Briefing -Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Brian Parr of the Secret Service spoke to the media Thursday afternoon about the security measures and traffic changes that will be in effect during Pope Benedict XVI's three-day visit next week.

Papal Paramedics

Newday reports on the 14 parademics chosen to attend to Pope Benedict XVI in the event of an emergency:

When Pope Benedict XVI visits New York City later this month, that job will fall to 14 paramedics from St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan. They have been chosen to work in 12-hour shifts during the pope's three-day stay, ready to race to a hospital in case of an emergency.

The medics, three of whom worked the detail during Pope John Paul II's 1995 visit, were chosen based on experience, said Phil Eguiguiurens, director of the St. Vincent's ambulance department.

"It's definitely not a 911 call," said Eguiguiurens, 42, of Bay Ridge. "He'll be treated by us and then taken to one of the hospitals designated on the route. My mind is racing right now. It's definitely an honor."

[...]

In order to be part of the detail, Eguiguiurens and his team went through a Secret Service background check, he said. In the next week, they will go through a special one-day, eight-hour motorcade course held by New York Police Department, the city Fire Department and the Secret Service, Eguiguiurens said.

A few days before the pope arrives, the medic staff will be given a briefing of his physical condition, he said.

"You can't take anything for granted," Eguiguiurens said. "Hopefully, nothing happens."

In related news, New York 1 News reports that religious leaders gathered at St. Vincent's Hospital in the West Village Friday to bless the ambulance used to tend to Pope Benedict XVI (in the event of an emergency):

After receiving a special blessing, rig #1770 out of St. Vincent's Hospital will be the one and only ambulance traveling in Pope Benedict's motorcade during his visit to New York City in two weeks.

"This blessing puts into the right perspective the care we take of the sick people," said Archbishop Celestino Migliore. "We Christians visit and take care of the sick. So we dedicate the utmost competence and care to the sick. But also we want to recognize that we are in the hands of God."

Lidia Bastianich chosen to be "The Papal Chef" in New York

Frank Bruni interviews Lidia Bastianich, who will have the honor of cooking for the Pope during his stay in New York (New York Times Diner's Journal, March 21, 2008):

“I’m so elated,” she said of the honor she’s been given. “I mean — yeah, yeah — it’s just tremendous.”

Ms. Bastianich, 62, an owner of the restaurants Felidia and Del Posto, said she considers herself a devout Catholic, and she’s interacted with Vatican officials based in New York. She’s been active as well in the local Italian community. These associations, she said, seemed to be among the reasons organizers of the Pope’s visit chose her.

She said that she would write the menu and help prepare the food for a dinner for 52 on April 18 and a dinner for 24 on April 19. Both will be private. Neither will be in a restaurant. [...]

Ms. Bastianich said she’d been asked not to talk much about the menus she’s putting together yet, and that her instructions from the Pope’s representatives haven’t been too detailed.

“We discussed some of the things, what he likes and dislikes, what he can and cannot eat,” she said. “What was stressed really was simplicity, seasonality, a light, balanced meal.”

Bruni mentions that:

While in New York, he is expected to address the United Nations, visit Ground Zero, celebrate Mass in Yankee Stadium and eat a Shake Shack burger.

That last part is mere speculation.

Speculate away, but if the Pope decides to forego one of New York City's best hamburgers, it's his loss. ;-)

Related

• Lidia's Italy - The Chef's own website.

Seeking the Pope's blessing on a golf cart

According to the Florida Villages' Daily Sun, the father of a 9/11 firefighter hopes to have his golf cart blessed by the Holy Father:

When Pope Benedict XVI visits the World Trade Center site April 20, Villager Bob Ogren hopes to be there with a golf cart he has made honoring the 343 firefighters who died Sept. 11, 2001, including his son, Jay.

“The idea is to bring the cart up there and maybe have it blessed,” Ogren said.

The golf cart, designed to look like a firetruck, has a picture of each firefighter killed on Sept. 11, many of whom Ogren knew, as he is a retired New York firefighter himself.

However, the number of family members of victims being invited for the pope’s visit is very limited and will be chosen by lottery.

So Ogren is reaching out to everybody he knows, asking them to submit his name for the lottery, but he also thinks he has a little extra help on his side.

“I said that even though it was dismal, I said that I’ve got 343 guys that are talking to the boss up there,” said the Village of Liberty Park resident.

Related

• Villager’s fire engine golf cart pays tribute to his son, by Katie Evans. The Villages Daily Sun September 17, 2007.

2 Catholic students chosen to greet the Pope at JFK

The Queens Courier has a lengthy profile of two students selected to present flowers to the Holy Father when he arrives at JFK:

On Friday, April 18, 10-year-old Christopher Jordan and 13-year-old Kaitlin Karcher will do something most people can only dream of doing.

Not only will the well-rounded students from Ozone Park and Howard Beach, respectively, get to meet Pope Benedict XVI, but the “two youngsters have been selected to present flowers to the Holy Father when he alights from his flight to JFK airport from Washington,” according to The Tablet.

Both were selected by their school’s principals “for the way they express their religious faith, their accomplishments as students and outside involvements.”

Related

• Queens girl, 13, to give bouquet to Pope when he arrives at JFK by Nicholas Hirshon. NY Daily News March 20, 2008.

New York City's Cardinal Egan, on the Papal Visit

Catholic News Service' Mary Ann Poust spoke with New York City's Cardinal Edward Egan on the papal visit:

Cardinal Egan said he hopes the papal visit to the New York Archdiocese will offer an opportunity to focus on "what the Catholic Church is all about -- the Gospel, prayer and our commitment to justice and charity."

He pointed out that the two main events to be held in the archdiocese will be Masses, one at St. Patrick's Cathedral April 19 and the other at Yankee Stadium April 20.

The Mass at St. Patrick's will be the first offered in the cathedral by a pope. Although Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral twice in his papacy, in 1979 and in 1995, he did not celebrate Mass there.

Egan also spoke of the Pope's request to visit the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center:

He said that he expects to tell Pope Benedict about his own experiences on Sept. 11, when he and his secretary, Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, saw the second tower of the trade center come down from their post outside St. Vincent's Hospital where they waiting for victims of the attack to be brought for medical attention.

The cardinal said he will speak especially of the "heroism" he saw on the part of firefighters, police officers and emergency service officers and their leadership in intensive rescue and recovery efforts that followed the attacks.

The Archdiocese of New York is currently celebrating its bicentennial:

The visit will be an immense blessing for all of us," he continued. "We look forward to listening to the bishop of Rome, praying with him and celebrating with him as well.

"It is my prayer that when he returns home on April 20, we will all be a good deal closer to our Lord and Savior, whose vicar here on earth Pope Benedict XVI is," he said.

Staten Island Students to present Pope Benedict with Handmade Rosaries

Pope Will Receive Homemade Staten Island Rosaries - Tara Lynn Wagner, NY1 News. March 19, 2008:

Fingers are flying at Our Lady Queen of Peace Elementary School in New Dorp, where roughly a dozen children from the island's only Junior Legion of Mary, a religious youth organization, spend their afternoons beading their very own rosaries.

“You can go to mass and get them blessed so they'll be special rosary beads. So it will be even more special knowing that you made them,” said student Hugo Fernandez.

The students have been stringing rosaries beads for five years, and their handiwork has traveled around Staten Island and around the world.

“We usually send [the rosaries] to people that need it, need the prayers,” said student Kristine Lauro. . . .

Their students aim to make 600 sets that they will bring to a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, who will be addressing a youth rally at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers next month.

“When I told them that the pope was coming, they were like ‘We have to go!’ and they were so excited,” said Annette Viso, president of the Staten Island Legion of Mary. “So this will be fun for them because they’ve never done anything like this.”