Looking forward to attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia

Friday, Jul. 24, 2015

Have you heard the news? Pope Francis is coming to Philadelphia in September! Just in case it’s escaped your notice, the Vatican’s World Meeting of Families will take place Sept. 22-25, and papal events will start on Sept. 26, culminating with a Mass on Sunday, Sept. 27.

The World Meeting of Families conference will start on Tuesday and conclude Friday at noon. The conference will be a series of international and national keynote speakers who are experts in the field of family studies and the Church. Participants will then break off into a variety of workshops. Some of the speakers and presenters will be Professor Helen Alvare, Dr. Scott Hahn, Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak, Fr. Robert Barron, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. And that’s just starting the list.  Choosing a workshop is going to be difficult simply because the speakers are all exceptional.

The organizers have worked to make this not only a fine educational event, but have gone out of their way to make it family friendly. The conference will end each day at 5 p.m. so families can have dinner together and have some family time in the evening. Professional child care with age-appropriate activities will be available. Organizers have worked with local businesses and attractions to ensure that venues stay open late. The Franklin Institute will host an exhibit with artifacts and art from the Vatican Museum. Conference participants also will have the chance to contribute to a mural that will become part of the permanent exhibit at the Convention Center. 

Housing is available at local hotels, with local families, and in other venues. Cost varies, and one thing to keep in mind is that on Friday (the night before the papal visit), the hotel rates will triple. 

The conference cost is $350 per person, which includes the full conference registration, two lunches, a seven-day transit pass, and a $100 food card to be used at local restaurants.  There are other packages and children’s packages are less.  

The papal events on the weekend are free and no tickets are necessary. The public may attend the papal events without attending the conference. 

I’ve attended one other World Meeting of Families. It was amazing! All those people dedicated to the dignity of the family in all its stages and diversity in one group is something to behold. I met people from South America, Europe and Africa, and we all had a common commitment to family and the Church.  The problems we shared seemed the same when it came to individual families. Societal pressures were different – how many of us can fully understand trying to raise a family in a refugee camp while the country is involved in a civil war? Can any of us truly understand that for some attending Mass puts your life in danger? Attending a WMofF event brings you face to face with people living in these situations and helps you to embrace your responsibility for them.  

I hope you can attend the conference. If you can’t travel to Philadelphia, you can attend at your parish; WMofF will be live streaming the keynote addresses. Parishes can gather to listen and share afterwards.

You can register for the conference as an individual, a family or a parish. If you or a group is going, please let me know at my office. I would love to have all those from Utah gather some evening for at least a picture! More important, when we come back, we can share what we learned with those who weren’t able to attend.  

So, I hope you’ll attend the WMofF either by plane, bus, train, car, or computer screen. You can learn more visiting http://www.worldmeeting2015.org.