WASHINGTON 鈥� Excitement is building at Catholic University of America ahead of the papal visit to D.C., which will include an outdoor mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception attended by 25,000 people.
鈥淟ook around, because 鈥� in less than three weeks 鈥� the pope will be here, and he鈥檒l be celebrating mass right on the eastern portico of this beautiful basilica,鈥� the Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl said Thursday before celebrating a mass marking the start of the Catholic University school year.
Students say the pope鈥檚 visit has created a buzz on campus.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a very faith-based university, but it鈥檚 been kind of like an extra level this year in terms of people going to mass, getting ready for the pope to come, getting really excited,鈥� says Dexie Cercos, a senior at the university.
鈥淗opefully I鈥檒l be right there,鈥� she says pointing to the open space next to the Basilica.
Catholic University is holding a lottery for student spaces in the standing-room area at the mass.
Cercos says she plans to hold a sign to honor Junipero Serra, who set up missions on the west coast in the 1700s, and converted many Native Americans. Some Native American groups say he did it using coercion.
鈥淚 actually want to paint a sign, I鈥檓 from San Diego, California, so Junipero Serra was a really important part of California history, so him being canonized is obviously a very big deal, so I鈥檓 going to paint a sign saying 鈥楥alifornians love St. Junipero Serra鈥�, [and] hopefully that will be something that the pope can see,鈥� Cercos adds.
Pope Francis will celebrate much of the mass in Spanish, which was Serra鈥檚 native language and is the pope鈥檚 as well.
Only people with tickets will be able to see the mass in person, but it will also be streamed online.
Sophomore Colin Lemnitzer from Connecticut has high hopes of getting a standing-room ticket to the mass through the university. In the meantime, Lemnitzer has been inspired by the pope鈥檚 visit to step up his commitment to service.
鈥淧eople are a little worried about tickets, and how are they going to get in, are they going to be able to see the pope, but there鈥檚 definitely an excitement that hasn鈥檛 been around, definitely something special,鈥� he says.
鈥淭he first canonization on American soil, I think we鈥檙e a part of a historic moment and I鈥檓 only 19, I think it鈥檚 crazy,鈥� he says.
Cardinal Wuerl calls the pope鈥檚 visit exciting and uplifting.
鈥淓very moment for months now, we鈥檝e been preparing because there鈥檚 always one more thing to do and one more step to take. Now that we鈥檙e this close, it鈥檚 more a sense of excitement 鈥� almost everything鈥檚 in place, we鈥檙e just waiting for that moment when he arrives,鈥� Wuerl says.
鈥淚 think the best part of the visit of our Holy Father is the chance for us to renew our own commitment. Our commitment first of all to nurture our relationship with the Lord, and then the commitment to care for one another,鈥� he said before celebrating mass Thursday.
Wuerl says he hopes the visit is inspiring to the D.C. area.
鈥淲e have the possibility of really building a much better world, a good and just society, and the pope will be saying that to us, I鈥檓 sure, because he says it all the time.鈥�
