Pope's Itinerary for Today (April 19)

Whispers in the Loggia keeps us up-to-date on the Pope's itinerary today. The program for all the public events can be found here.

"At 9am, cheered on by a ticket-only gallery stretching down blocks of Fifth Avenue, the Popemobile will be received on the steps of St Patrick's Cathedral....Benedict will celebrate a Votive Mass for the Universal Church with representatives of the clergy and religious from each of the nation's 195 dioceses in the church long recognized as Stateside Catholicism's de facto "capitol building," .... today will be the first time a pontiff has celebrated the Eucharist within its walls."

In another first, yesterday was the first time that a Pope visited a synagogue in the United States,  the Park East Synagogue on East 68th Street.

Activities for this afternoon:

"After a brief riposo at the Mission House on 72nd Street, the spotlight moves to Yonkers -- more specifically, Dunwoodie, home of St Joseph's Seminary. On his arrival at 4.30pm, the pontiff will hold a prayer service for disabled children in the seminary chapel, before moving outside for one of this visit's three main public events: the youth rally before a crowd now estimated at 26,000...."

I'm watching the Pope giving his homily now.  He looks a bit fatigued today.

I've been enjoying hearing his soft-spoken, compelling, Bavarian voice every day.  As The  Anchoress noted earlier this week, he draws you in. Jill of Estate Vaults write in an e-mail:

"To hear him speak is like a long, cool drink of water after being parched for too long. I'm amazed at the meat and substance of what he says and his way of making it so fresh and new."

Might have to get me an I-Pod and download Vatican podcasts after he returns to Rome.