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	Local Catholics See 'Many Things' in Pope's Visit By Julia Spitz MetroWest Daily News April 14, 2008 http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/lifestyle/faith/x1043168249 Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to America, which begins today, is being viewed as a blessing, a chance to unite the church and a reason to protest. "It's many things," said Mary Jesch, one of 14 members of St. Bridget Parish in Framingham scheduled to attend Mass in New York on Sunday, but most importantly, "it's an amazing opportunity for American Catholics to worship with the Holy Father." It is unclear how many of the Archdiocese of Boston's 3,000 tickets to the Mass at Yankee Stadium will be used by Catholics from MetroWest and Milford. "I know some of our parishioners are going down," said the Rev. Dave Callahan, pastor of St. Mary's in Franklin. "I'm not (among them), unfortunately." About 50 people from Framingham's St. Tarcisius' Brazilian and English-speaking church communities will board a bus to New York, "just to be able to be where he's going to pass," said the Rev. Joseph Pranzo. While they don't have tickets to the Mass, "they're going to see the Holy Father, and that's great." As for Pranzo, the church's pastor, "I wish I could (go). Someone has to stay home and mind the fire." Office staff at Immaculate Conception in Marlborough, St. Anselm in Sudbury, St. Cecilia in Ashland, St. Mary in Holliston, St. Patrick in Natick and St. Mary in Milford said individual members may be going, but they were not aware of any parish groups heading for New York. Even the Voice of the Faithful, the Newton-based group created in response to clergy sex abuse scandals, is not sending an official contingent. "Everybody's going to be there. Why compete with everybody?" John Moynihan, communications director for the Voice of the Faithful, said yesterday. Instead, the group has taken out an ad in the New York Times, urging the pope to help heal the wounds left by clergy sex abuse with "justice for the abused and accountability from the bishops." The group seeks "a transformed Body of Christ, a Church that both calls upon and serves all members, lay and ordained alike, with compassion and integrity," the ad and an online petition state. "We do have a truck going down, with signs" asking Catholics to visit the www.votf.org Web site, said Moynihan. Gay rights groups and those advocating a bigger role for women in the Catholic Church plan protests in Washington and New York, according to Associated Press reports. The pontiff, who will mark his 81st birthday while in America, arrives in Washington today for a five-day visit that includes meeting with President Bush and delivering a speech at the United Nations. He will celebrate Mass at Nationals Park in Washington as well as Yankee Stadium. "We're really excited that he's coming," said Jesch. For those with Mass tickets, "the archdiocese has organized buses for the pilgrims going down." While it would be wonderful to have the pope visit Boston, "maybe another trip" will bring him here, said Jesch. And as for venturing into enemy territory for members of Red Sox Nation, "I think I can get over that," she said. For those who cannot attend, "we're hoping a lot of people will be able to watch on television," said Jesch. What Callahan, St. Mary's pastor, hopes people see in the pope's visit is "his presence in this country as a sign of the unity of the church." A March poll by the Pew Research Center found nearly three-quarters of U.S. Catholics viewed Benedict positively, according to the Associated Press. "I urge all my fellow Catholics to listen attentively to the message that the pope will address to us," Cardinal Sean O'Malley, archbishop of Boston, said in a statement on the archdiocese Web site. "The Holy Father is not a celebrity or a rock star," said O'Malley, who will be in Washington and New York during the papal visit. "He is a shepherd and represents Christ, the Good Shepherd, who commanded Peter: 'Feed my Sheep.' Pope Benedict is coming to feed us in our hunger for God and the truth. "May his words renew us in our commitment to be faithful disciples in Christ's Church." (Julia Spitz can be reached at 508-626-3968 or jspitz@cnc.com.)
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