Local Catholic faithful attend Masses with Pope Benedict XVI
For more information contact:
Mary Woodward, Communications
601-960-8475
601-750-0481
mary.woodward@jacksondiocese.org
Over 100 people from all over the Diocese of Jackson will be traveling to the Papal Masses in Washington and New York, when Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States April 15-20. Among them is a group of students and faculty from Ole Miss.
Bishop Joseph Latino and retired Bishop William Houck will be concelebrants at both Masses and will participate in several meetings with the pope during his stay.
Rev. Ricardo Phipps, from Christ the King and St. Mary Parishes in Jackson will be helping with the distribution of Communion at the Mass in New York at Yankee Stadium on April 20.
According to Mary Woodward, diocesan director of communications, the Archdiocese of New York allotted the Diocese of Jackson 100 tickets for the Mass. Tickets were distributed to people on a first come first serve basis. The diocese did not coordinate any travel arrangements for those going.
“We had to have our final list of names turned in to the archdiocese on Feb. 15. The security measures they are taking are very strict,” said Woodward.
“Through the generosity of several people in the diocese, we were able to provide tickets for five New York-based Missionary Sisters of Charity (Mother Teresa’s order), who were unable to get tickets in New York.
Those five Sisters will be sitting with our people in the right field bleachers on Sunday at Yankee Stadium,” Woodward added.
About 25 people from the diocese will be attending the Mass in Washington on Thursday, April 17. Fewer tickets were offered to the Diocese of Jackson for this Mass and originally it was not known if any would be available due to final construction on the Washington Nationals Stadium.
“The response of the people going from our diocese has been very inspiring. Many of them see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity and are making a real pilgrimage out of their trip,” said Bishop Joseph Latino. “As a Catholic, it is not everyday you get to participate in a Mass celebrated by the pope. It is my hope and prayer that this will be a unique and beautiful spiritual experience for them,” he added.
In Washington, the Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, April 17, at 10 a.m. at the new Nationals Park, which is expected to accommodate 46,000 people. In tune with the season of Easter and Pentecost, the readings will speak about hope and the Holy Spirit. There will be readings in English and Spanish, and the general intercessions, also known as Prayers of the Faithful, will include petitions in the Igbo, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog languages as well.
The music program for the Mass will reflect a variety of musical styles, from traditional Latin and English hymns to other modern rhythms in several languages. Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo and American mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves are expected to sing at the Mass along with four different choirs totaling 570 members from across the Archdiocese of Washington.
New York’s Yankee Stadium will accommodate approximately 57,000 participants for the Mass on Sunday, April 20, the last day of Pope Benedict’s visit. Mass is set to start at 2:30 p.m. It will have an especially celebratory tone as it commemorates the bicentennial anniversary of the foundation of four U.S. dioceses, including Boston, Louisville, Philadelphia and, the host, the Archdiocese of New York, as well as the 200th anniversary of the Baltimore’s designation as the first U.S. archdiocese. These dioceses as well as those immediately neighboring the Big Apple will have the largest representation at the Mass.
The readings for the Mass will be those corresponding to the Fifth Sunday of Easter. They will be proclaimed in English and Spanish and the Prayers of the Faithful will be offered in several languages. More than 550 priests and clergy will distribute Communion at Yankee Stadium.