The first apostolic visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the United States concluded this week, with stops made in Washington, DC and New York City. The trip, which ran from April 15-20, was not a simple event to coordinate, and required many lay and religious to work long hours to ensure its success.
Numerous Jesuits were involved with the Papal visit, lending their expertise to the media and assisting in coordinating the event itself.
Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ (MAR), associate pastor at Holy Trinity in Washington, DC, provided commentary for the Pope’s arrival at Andrews Air Force Base and the Mass at Nationals Stadium, for the local CBS affiliate.
“The question I’ve received the most from CBS has been, ‘How is Pope Benedict different from John Paul? What will the Pope discuss?’ A topic he is sure to discuss is one of hope, given his recent encyclical. I think it will be a positive and constructive message. It will uplift, and call the American people on to something higher. But most of all, his message will be a challenging one, because the gospel itself, is challenging.”
Fr. Allan Deck, SJ (CFN), the executive director of the USCCB Office for Cultural Diversity, has also leant his assistance by providing commentary for Spanish-language channel, Univision.
Check back to Jesuit.org for updates to this article, as the Holy Father’s apostolic visit continues.
