Indiana Pilgrims Heading To Philadelphia To See Pope Francis
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A group of Catholics from northwest Indiana was preparing for the journey of a lifetime, to make their own pilgrimage to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia.
At about 7 a.m., 141 people – as young as 4 and as old as 80 – will board two buses at Our Lady of Consolation Catholic Church, to make the trip to Philadelphia to see the pope in person. They should arrive about 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
A young teacher in the group said Pope Francis is an example for everyone.
"The number one thing I'm drawn to about Pope Francis is his humility. So the first time that I saw him, he had asked the faithful to pray for him. So he's very aware that he also needs prayer and God in his life," Brooke Fowler said. "That, and he serves the poor. So those are definitely the two things that I'm very drawn to."
Matt Kresich, a college student joining the pilgrimage, said he and other youth are doing what they can to bring young people back to church, amid a decline in attendance in recent years.
"The church is still alive," he said. "You see all the news coverage, and all the attention that Pope Francis is coming. So that really shows that the church is still big, and still important. As far as youth, I just live it out by being involved in my parish, doing what I can, and one of the hardest things is just sharing your faith with others. That's sometimes uncomfortable for us, but we find out that the more we share, the more we realize people are like-minded like us."
The pilgrims will see the pope twice; once on Saturday at the Festival of Families, and again Sunday at a papal mass to conclude the World Meeting of Families, a few hours before he returns to Rome.
