World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 Starts with Eventful Day of Song, Celebration of Love and Artistry, and a Blessing of the ‘Pietà’

To kick off the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 Congress, a series of media availabilities have been scheduled to provide media an overview of the Congress and its engaging programming. With a World Meeting of Families record crowd of more than 17,000 pilgrims attending the Congress, representing over 100 countries, the weeklong event will celebrate family and the sanctuary of love and life. Starting at 11:30 a.m., Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, will provide remarks and host a brief media Q&A.

Afterwards, inspired by the theme: Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive, the Opening Ceremony will start at 1 p.m., featuring a variety of choral and student performances to commemorate the start of the Congress. Twelve students representing secondary, elementary and special education will take part in a special performance to highlight the distance traveled by pilgrims to attend the WMOF Congress.

During the Opening Ceremony, Donna Crilley Farrell, Executive Director for the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015, will introduce The Sacred Now: Faith and Family in the 21st Century mural as an official contender to set a Guinness World Record for “Most Contributions to a Painting by Numbers.” Following the Opening Ceremony, pilgrims will be invited to start painting the mural, inching closer to the record with each stroke.

Lastly, following the opening Mass of the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 Congress, Auxiliary Bishop John J. McIntyre of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will bless a life-size marble casting of Michelangelo’s ‘Pietà’ at the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s Broad Street Atrium. The Vatican Observatory Foundation has authorized and licensed the creation of 100 Pietà marble castings from a mold derived from the original Pietà. 

The World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 Congress Opening Events will take place:

Opening Press Conference
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Featuring Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of  Philadelphia
and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family
The Pennsylvania Convention Center: Hall A
1101 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107 

Opening Ceremony
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center: Grand Hall
1101 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107 

Guinness World Record Mural Painting Session
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center: Grand Hall
1101 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107 

Mass of the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 & Blessing of the ‘Pietà’
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Mass)
6:00 p.m.  (Blessing of Pieta)
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Broad Street Atrium
Broad and Cherry Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19103 

Co-sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the World Meeting of Families is a triennial global event that seeks to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe and highlight its intrinsic value to the good of society. This international gathering will welcome Pope Francis to the United States for the first time in his Papacy. 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.”

Key attendees and speakers available for media interviews will include:

  • Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
  • Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family
  • Mayor Michael A. Nutter, City of Philadelphia
  • Donna Crilley Farrell, Executive Director, World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015
  • Robert J. Ciaruffoli, President, World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015
  • Dan Hilferty, CEO, Independence Blue Cross
  • Jane Golden, Founder and Executive Director, Mural Arts Program
  • Cesar Viveros, Mural Arts Program lead artist
  • Kim Guadagno, Lieutenant Governor, New Jersey
  • Bishop John J. McIntyre,  Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia
  • David Newren, President of  Arte Divine

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