Local faithful journey to hear pontiff

Pope Francis waves from a Fiat 500L as his motorcade departs Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015, after being greeted by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.
Pope Francis waves from a Fiat 500L as his motorcade departs Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015, after being greeted by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.

The Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City will be well represented while Pope Francis visits America over the next few days.

Bishop John Gaydos will be in Washington, D.C., today and Thursday, and he will be at the pope's address to the joint session of Congress.

When the pope addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, those attending will include Mike Hoey, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, and the conference's general counsel, Tyler McClay.

A group of Hispanic parishioners is headed to Philadelphia where on Saturday the pope will bless a five-foot-tall wooden cross, known as "The Cross of the Encuentros." The cross symbolizes the journey of faith of Hispanic/Latino Catholics in the United States.

Father César Anicama is a priest from Peru who was ordained to serve in the Jefferson City diocese this past spring. He is associate pastor of St. Peter parish in Jefferson City. He is joining several Latino Catholics from this diocese on a pilgrimage by bus from Davenport, Iowa, to Philadelphia for Mass on Sunday to close out the World Meeting of Families.

"We're driving through the night but, we know that we're traveling with God and we're traveling with Pope Francis," Father Anicama said. "We just can't wait to see Pope Francis and to hear his message and his voice. That's going to be a special moment for us."