John Paul II in the U.S.: The 1987 Papal VisitThe Sept. 10-19 visit of Pope John Paul II to the United States was his second major U.S. trip, following that of Oct. 1-7 1979 when, following a stop in Ireland, he visited Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Des Moines, Chicago and Washington, D.C. During his 27-year pontificate, Pope John Paul also made trips in August 1993 to Denver (for World Youth Day); in October 1995 to Newark, New York and Baltimore (in conjunction with the United Nations’ 50th anniversary); and in January 1999 to St. Louis, as well as brief stops in Anchorage (February 1981) and Fairbanks (May 1984), on his way to or from Asia.The 1987 visit was his longest and — in addition to Eucharistic celebrations — included numerous meetings with groups representing many areas of U.S. Catholic life, the U.S. institutional church (ordained, religious and lay), and the ecumenical and interfaith community. To view the addresses and homilies presented by Pope John Paul II, visit www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/index.htm and click on “Travels.”Thursday, Sept. 10: Miami. Addresses to people at St. Mary’s Cathedral, to priests of the U.S. at St. Martha Church, and to President Ronald Reagan at Vizcaya Museum.Friday, Sept. 11: Miami and Columbia, S.C. Meeting with representatives of U.S. Jewish organizations, Miami; Mass in Tamiami Park, Miami. Address to people at St. Peter Church, Columbia; meet with students and staff at University of South Carolina; meeting with representatives of Christian churches and ecclesial communities; ecumenical service at South Carolina Stadium.Saturday, Sept. 12: New Orleans. Address to people at St. Louis Cathedral; separate meetings with Black Catholic community, representatives of Catholic elementary and secondary schools and leaders in religious education, and young people of New Orleans, all at Louisiana Superdome; meeting with representatives of Catholic universities at Xavier University; Mass at Eastern Campus, University of New Orleans.Sunday, Sept. 13: San Antonio. Mass at Westover Hills; Angelus; meeting with members of Catholic Charities USA at San Antonio Municipal Auditorium; meeting with seminarians at San Fernando Cathedral; meeting with Hispanic Catholic community at Plaza de Nuestra Se√±ora de Guadalupe.Monday, Sept. 14: Phoenix. Radio message to people of New Mexico; address to people of Southwest at Basilica of St. Mary Civic Plaza, Phoenix; address to leaders of Catholic health care at Phoenix Convention Center; visit to the Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude; meeting with Native peoples of the Americas at Memorial Coliseum; Mass and celebration of the anointing of the sick at Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium. Tuesday, Sept. 15: Los Angeles. Motorcade from LAX to downtown; address to faithful at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral; address to communications industry professionals at Universal City Registry Hotel; teleconference with youth in four cities at Universal Amphitheater; Mass with people of Los Angeles Province at Memorial Coliseum.Wednesday, Sept. 16: Los Angeles. Celebration of Lauds at San Fernando Mission; meeting with U.S. Bishops at Queen of Angels Seminary High School, Mission Hills; meeting with elementary school students of Immaculate Conception School, L.A.; meeting with representatives of world religions and religious leaders at Japanese Cultural Center; Mass with U.S. Bishops and Act of Entrustment to the Virgin Mary at Dodger Stadium.Thursday, Sept. 17: Monterey and San Francisco. Mass for the rural workers at Laguna Seca Raceway; meeting with the faithful at San Carlos Borromeo Mission, Carmel, and at Mission Dolores Basilica, San Francisco; meeting with the religious of the U.S. at Cathedral of St Mary. Friday, Sept. 18: San Francisco and Detroit. Meeting with representatives of Catholic laypeople at Cathedral of St Mary; Mass at Candlestick Park; visit to Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Detroit; visit with Polish community at Terreno di Hamtramck.Saturday, Sept. 19: Detroit. Meeting with permanent deacons at Ford Auditorium; meeting with the people of Detroit at Hart Plaza; Mass at Pontiac Silverdome.Pope John Paul then traveled on Sunday, Sept. 20 to Fort Simpson, Canada, where he celebrated Mass with the Native peoples of Canada at the Camp Ground of Fort Simpson. He had been scheduled to visit there in May 1984 as part of a visit to Canada, but thick fog prevented his plane from landing.In all, his 104 trips outside Italy made Pope John Paul II by far the most widely traveled pope in history. —Mike Nelson{gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2012/0914/visitside/{/gallery}
