Philadelphia, PA (January 5, 2015) – The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 today celebrated the Feast of St. John Neumann at the National Shrine in North Philadelphia with Mayor Michael A. Nutter and Bishop John J. McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. With a celebratory Mass and the official blessing of the Shrine’ new atrium and time capsule, today’s event marked the completion of this landmark project for the historic shrine while also marking the beginning of the year in which the Archdiocese and the City of Philadelphia will welcome Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families in September 2015.

During the annual Feast day celebration, the congregation was treated to a choral performance of “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle,” Italy’s most beloved Christmas Carol, in honor of Pope Francis, as the current Bishop of Rome, and St. Peter, namesake of the parish and the first Bishop of Rome. As homilist, Bishop McIntyre addressed the congregation, including students from St. Peter the Apostle School, about the strong connection between the life and work of St. John Neumann and the World Meeting of Families, notably how St. John Neumann’s legacy is not only tied to his establishment of the Catholic education system in the United States but his ministry to immigrant families in welcoming them into the Church – a mission that continues today worldwide.

“St. John Neumann was a humble man of God whose focus on bringing immigrant families to the Church is as important and salient today as it was in the 1850’s,” said Bishop McIntyre. “As we prepare for the World Meeting of Families, it is appropriate that St. John Neumann’s home – Philadelphia – serve as host, especially as the issues of immigration and the manifestation of faith in global cultures remain critical to families around the world. I know that the spirit of St. John Neumann and his lasting legacy will inspire our work as we continue to plan for this special event.”

Following Mass, Mayor Nutter joined with Bishop McIntyre for the blessing of the new atrium at the St. John Neumann National Shrine. Following the blessing, which was read in English, Spanish and Italian to honor the immigrant ministry of St. John Neumann, students from St. Peter the Apostle School then placed flags representing the countries from which their own families had immigrated to the United States. Mayor Nutter and Bishop McIntyre then placed an American Flag, a Papal flag, an Argentinian flag, in honor of Pope Francis, and the flag of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania into the time capsule.

Said Bishop McIntyre, “The Holy Father embodies St. John Neumann’s inviting message to pilgrims just as the World Meeting of Families does. We look forward to welcoming upwards of 1.5 million people from various cultures and faiths to share in this faithful gathering, which will be a once-in-a-generation event for our Archdiocese, our city and our state.”

The World Meeting of Families is a triennial global event, sponsored by The Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, which seeks to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe and highlight its intrinsic value to the good of society. Being held in the United States for the first time ever, the official theme for the 2015 World Meeting of Families is “Love is our mission: the family fully alive.”

For more information regarding the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia next September, please visit www.WorldMeeting2015.org. For more information regarding The Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, which co-sponsors the World Meeting of Families with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit http://www.familiam.org/famiglia_eng/00002554_HOME_ENG.html. You can also engage the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia on Facebook (World Meeting of Families 2015) (Encuentro Mundial de las Familias – Filadelfia 2015), Twitter (@WMF2015) (@WMF2015ES) and Instagram (WMF2015).

About World Meetings of Families

Beginning with 1994, The Year of the Family, the Pontifical Council for the Family has been responsible for organizing the World Meetings of Families in Rome (1994); Rio de Janeiro (1997); Rome (2000); Manila (2003); Valencia (2006); Mexico City (2009); Milan (2012); and now, Philadelphia (2015). Since its inception by Saint John Paul II, the World Meeting of Families has sought to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe.

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Kenneth A. Gavin

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215-587-3747