Pope Francis’ visit is upon us, and I have had the pleasure of being in New York during this exciting time where the anticipation is as thick as the humid summer air.
A month ago, I became involved with an initiative using the hashtag #GoodIsWinning as a member of the PopeIsHope Digital Street Team. We are gathering together the stories and reactions of people around the country as they prepare for the Pope’s visit. This inspiring initiative, organized by Aleteia and using the handle @PopeIsHope on social media, is a concrete example of the hope and joy that is so key to the message of Pope Francis.
Last week, the “Popemojis” went live on the app store, and I had the great joy of going down to Times Square with some of the members of the #GoodIsWinning initiative to help promote awareness. We stood there handing out t-shirts and sticks that had the pope’s face plastered on them in emoji form. The number of people who approached us to ask about what we were doing and the eager way in which they approached us to get their picture taken with our pope cutout filled me with joy and amazement. All different kinds of people, from locals to tourists to the security guards at the square, wanted to be part of this joyful experience.
Not only is the Pope all over social media, but he’s plastered on buildings and on the tips of people’s tongues as they talk about the next few weeks. Masses signed up to try to win tickets for the procession through Central Park, and those of us lucky enough to win can’t stop talking about how amazing it will be just to be there. I feel lucky to be in such an excited city at this time.
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Photo by Jeffrey Bruno, courtesy Aleteia on Flickr CC, found here.