Pope Francis will become the first pope to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, Sept. 24, according to a schedule of his U.S. visit released by the Vatican.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced the pope’s U.S. visit back in February, and Boehner said he welcomes Francis with “humility and deep gratitude.”
“His visit to the U.S. Capitol is unprecedented, and it is with open ears and hearts that we will welcome his address to the Congress,” Boehner said. “This will be a historic visit, and given the large public interest in Pope Francis, the U.S. Congress is making the appropriate preparations to reflect the magnitude of his visit to the Capitol and ensure his message can be heard by all Americans.”
According to the Vatican, Francis will arrive from Cuba at 4 p.m. on Tues., Sept. 22 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The next day he will meet with President Obama at the White House, and hold a midday prayer with the bishops to the U.S. at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Then, he will celebrate a canonization mass for Junipero Serra that afternoon at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Francis will address the joint session of Congress at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, and then will leave for New York City that afternoon, arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 5 p.m. That night, Francis will lead an evening prayer at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Francis will address the United Nations’ General Assembly on Friday and hold a night Mass at Madison Square Garden.
He heads to Philadelphia on Saturday, Sept. 26, holding a morning Mass at Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul before visiting the Festival of Families.
He leaves the U.S. for Rome on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 27.
View his full schedule here.
