Excitement Builds As Saint Charles Borremeo Seminary Prepares To Host Pope Francis
By Jim Melwert
LOWER MERION, Pa. (CBS) -- Saint Charles Borremeo Seminary will host Pope Francis during his stay in Philadelphia, and excitement is building on the Lower Merion campus.
The rector of Saint Charles was a young seminarian himself the last time a pope visited the city. Bishop Timothy Senior was in his second year at St. Charles Borremeo Seminary when Pope John Paul II visited on October 3, 1979.
"The pope came into the chapel, and there was just an incredible roar of joy," Bishop Senior says, "We as seminarians, we had been shouting and chanting 'Viva Papa' some would say in a disorderly way, and Cardinal Krol began to joke about that."
"I have to apologize for the apparent undisciplined behavior of our seminarians," Cardinal Krol told the pope.
Now as rector of the seminary, Bishop Senior gets the unique view of a papal visit from the other side. His advice to the young, prospective priests...
"Absorb and take it in, and not be too caught up in some of the details, as exciting and as fun as that might be, but to really be reflective of the magnitude of this moment," he says. "We have a great grace to have what we as Catholics believe, this man is the Vicar of Christ, he's the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, and that's a grace for us to have him come here."
Pope Francis is set to arrive in Philadelphia Saturday morning.