North Phila. Baptist Church Opens Their Doors For Out-Of-Town Catholics For Papal Weekend
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A North Philadelphia Baptist Church is opening its doors to hundreds of out-of-town Catholics headed to the area tomorrow for the Papal weekend.
"We've got to get real creative-- I don't think this is something that we've done before," says Janice Sykes-Ross. She works for Greater Exodus Baptist Church at Broad and Fairmount.
For weeks, the church received calls from all over the country to provide lodging for groups, some as large as 800 people. The need was so great, Ross says Pastor Herb Lusk gave the orders to convert the church banquet hall into a make shift bed and breakfast.
"They will be having their meals here-- they'll also be sleeping here at night," says Ross.
She says staff will spend the say Thursday removing tables and silver platters from the 8th floor of the "People for People" banquet hall known as "The View" to make room for 200 members of Saints Joseph & Michael Parish in Union, New Jersey.
She says the group will begin arriving on buses and in vans Friday. They'll bunk on blow up mattresses and in sleeping bags through Monday, using hall's kitchen to prepare meals.
"We're looking forward to being a part of it and making this a very comfortable environment for them," she says.
In addition to church, Greater Exodus and People for People, Inc. provides an education and social services to youth and families in Center City.
For more on the organizations, go to peopleforpeople.org.