Pope's U.S. Visit, 2015 Guide: Full Schedule, Transportation, Ticket Information

The Pope will arrive in the United States Tuesday at 4 p.m.

His first stop is Washington, D.C. After that, he will head to New York City on Thursday and then to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families on Saturday.

Here is his itinerary for his United States trip, plus everything else you need to know:

Tuesday, Sept. 22

• 4 p.m.: Arrive in Washington D.C., at the Joint Base Andrews military facility. This will be the Pope’s first stop for his visit to the United States before he travels on to New York and Philadelphia.

Wednesday, Sept. 23

• 9:15 a.m.: Pope Francis will arrive at the White House in Washington D.C. for a state arrival ceremony. (Watch it live here.) He will be the third pope to have ever visited the White House. The event will be held on the South Lawn of the White House with President Barack Obama and numerous other government officials in attendance.
• 11: a.m.: After his visit to the White House, the Pope will travel in a parade along 15th Street, Constitution Avenue and 17th Street, NW in the Popemobile. People wishing to see the pontiff are invited to line the streets around the Ellipse and the National Mall as he drives by in the Popemobile. The parade is free and open to the public on a first-come first-serve basis. However, spectators will need to pass through security, with gates opening for the Ellipse and the National Mall at 4 a.m. on Wednesday and closing at 10 a.m. No one will be admitted into the area after 10 a.m. No food or drink may be brought in from the outside, but concessions will be available for purchase. Once inside the perimeter, attendees will not be allowed to leave and re-enter until the Holy Father’s Popemobile parade is complete.
• 11:30 a.m.: Pope Francis will pray the midday prayer from the Liturgy of Hours, the daily form of prayer of the Catholic Church, with bishops from the United States at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. The church is located at 1725 Rhode Island Ave. NW.
• 4:15 p.m.: Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on the east portico of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the University Mall at The Catholic University of America. During Mass, Pope Francis will be canonizing Blessed Junipero Serra, a Spanish-born Franciscan Friar known for starting nine Spanish missions in California in the 1700s. The mass is only open to those with tickets; many streets surrounding the area will be closed.

Thursday, Sept. 24

• 10 a.m.: In the first-ever address by Pope to Congress, the Senate and House welcome the pope in a joint session.
• 11 a.m.: The Pope then makes a stop on the Capitol’s West Front, which overlooks the National Mall.
• 11:15 a.m.: St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and Catholic Charities to host the Pope and 60 parishioners.
• 4 p.m. The Pope departs from Joint Base Andrews to New York
• 5 p.m: He arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport
• 6:45 p.m: Evening Prayer (Vespers) at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (open only to the Clergy of St. Patrick’s Cathedral)
  

Friday, Sept. 25

• 8:30 am: Visit to the United Nations and Address to the United Nations General Assembly (open only to UN officials)
• 11:30 am: Multi-religious service at 9/11 Memorial and Museum, World Trade Center (ticket lottery closed)
• 4 p.m: Visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School, East Harlem (open only to a select group of students and administrators from four Catholic schools in New York, and a gym full of Catholic Charities representatives)
• Procession through Central Park to follow visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School
• 6 p.m: Mass at Madison Square Garden (tickets reportedly very limited and not sold to the public; contact your own diocesan chancery office for more information)
  

Saturday, Sept. 26

• 8:40 a.m: Departure John F. Kennedy International Airport
  
• 9:39 a.m. Arrive at Philadelphia International Airport
• 10:30 a.m.: Mass at Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, a historic church that has stood since 1864. It is the largest brownstone structure in Philadelphia. (This mass is closed to the public.) Francis will then proceed to Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, where he will meet with bishops at the chapel there. (This event is also closed to the public.)
• 4:45 p.m.: Speech on religious freedom and immigration at Independence National Historical Park in Center City Philadelphia. (During the speech, ticket holders will be the only people permitted to go beyond designated security checkpoints. Click here to see the map.)
• 7:30 p.m. Appearance at the Festival of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Sunday, Sept. 27

• 9:15 a.m.: Meeting with the bishops at the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary
• 11 a.m.: Francis will visit prisoners at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in North Philadelphia. Prisoners there have already prepared a special chair for Francis as a gift.
• 4 p.m.: The Pope will return to the Parkway to say the concluding mass for the 2015 World Meeting of Families. (Ticket holders will be the only people permitted to go beyond designated security checkpoints. Click here to see the map.)
• 8 p.m.: Return to Rome

Numerous road closures go into effect in the Philadelphia region this week. Click here for details.

In Philadelphia, “Secure zones,” will be set up surrounded by security checkpoints. Numerous local and regional road closures will be in effect. The Parkway secure zone, which surrounds the art museum, has been set up where the Pope will give a public mass on 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. There is a section for ticket holders only, as well as a public section but all must go through security.

Image courtesy Mayor Nutter’s office.

Meanwhile, significant traffic is expected on other major roads throughout the region that will remain open.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is working with officials to ensure that construction will not slow traffic in sensitive areas over the weekend.

Road closures and the huge influx of visitors will create severe traffic in the suburbs. Route 422 is one major road likely to be affected.

All residents and visitors are advised to avoid traveling by private vehicle, especially toward the city, whenever possible on September 26 and 27.

Security

Montgomery County announced on August 23 that 600 National Guard troops had been requested for the weekend of September 26 and 27.

The personnel, requested from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, will help with traffic control, crowd control, and infrastructure security.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Montgomery County and its residents to experience something as important and inspirational as a Papal visit,” Josh Shapiro, chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners, said in a press release. “The eyes of the world will be on our region, and I am confident that the long term benefits of Pope Francis’ visit will far outweigh the temporary inconveniences we might face. Our entire Public Safety Department and all of their local and regional partners have worked hard to help ensure inconveniences are minimized and safety is maximized.”

In addition, the county has asked for helicopters, boats, refueling trucks, and other personnel to assist the Joint Rapid Response Teams and other supporting teams working to keep both motorists and those on boats safe.

The county’s Bomb Squad has also been training in anticipation of the weekend, and the Secret Service is organizing security in the city.

In New Jersey, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office is taking the lead as “incident command,” according to nj.com, but the Secret Service has been tasked with protecting the Pope, with help from the FBI and New Jersey State Police. Partnerships have also extended to Burlington, Gloucester and Salem counties in planning for emergency situations that could occur.

The City of Philadelphia has launched a hotline to help area businesses prepare for the big weekend in September.

The Philadelphia Department of Commerce has launched a hotline that will be available Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to p.m. The hotline is available via phone at 215-683-2100 and email at business@phila.gov.