How thrilling liira! I am so happy for you.

I hope that the visit is all that you want it to be and that Edmonton is able to handle the crowds. The Pope came to Philadelphia for 2 days in September 2015 for the World Meeting of Families and the original estimate was that 1 to 1.5 million visitors would arrive. The final count was less than that but about 900,000 people were on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to hear Sunday mass.

Several of my neighbors attended and commented that they felt the way you do - that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and worth the travel and traffic issues. All 3 of my children lived in apartments not too far from that area and all three left to avoid the street closures and security measures. My niece and her family drove from Pittsburgh for the weekend and were thrilled to be able to stay in my son's apartment which was within walking distance of the Parkway. They weren't expecting that so many hotels would be completely booked even in suburbs outside the city.

How exciting for you!

At least it shouldn't still be snowing there :-p

When the Pope came to Philadelphia, we had to reschedule our high school reunion! It was planned for a weekend when he would be here and there would be no hotel rooms for out of towners.

We rescheduled for a couple weeks later. It meant that some people who had planned to be there could not attend, but on the other hand it allowed some others to be there.

Get ready for a mob scene. As I recall, some people with tickets had to wait in berylong lines and never saw him. I just hunkered down at home and watched some on tv. Not my religion, but still interesting.

Pope John Paul II visited Edmonton in 1984 so the city should know about the crowds. They’re sprucing up the Dove of Peace monument that was erected for that visit.

Maskwacis will get some roads paved for this visit.

Liira, I get your excitement. I hope that the wounds that the residential students and families suffered will be alleviated some. I was not a particularly pious kid but I vividly remember seeing Pope Paul VI in NYC in 1965. The Catholic high school I attended closed for the day, so students could see the first Pope to visit the US. I was curbside on 5th Avenue as Pope Paul VI waved from the Pope Mobile on his way to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was a thrill and a good memory.

I wonder if I would fight the crowds etc. Once upon a time my parents had a 'private' audience with Pope John Paul. It was all the parents of the seminarians to be ordained by him the next day. My brother was in the bunch. I wanted to attend but decided finals my final year in college were not to be missed. I wish a light would shine on the intentions and hopes and need for the school's initial founding. All the high hopes for those kids that was present. Yes there are bad eggs in every population and as we have seen in many different corners where there are kids bad bad adults swarm. Forgiveness and a comprehension for the total would go along way.

A generic "I'm sorry" isn't worth the damage his church (and many others) have done to the Indigenous community. The amount of money that is being spent on security for a man who claims to head of the sky daddy club is ridiculous. My husbands two great uncles are buried somewhere still and his family still does not have closure thanks to his club.

Deb, I was trying to stay away from the negative comments as the OP requested so I came up with the only positive things that I could think of.

Maskwacis will get some roads paved for this visit.