papal visit 1987

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John Paul II in the U.S.: The 1987 Papal Visit

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}

Mike Nelson

Angelus news.

Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus).

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Apostolic Journey to the United States of America and Canada (September 10-20, 1987)

• Welcome ceremony at the Airport of Miami (September 10, 1987) [ English , Italian ]
• To the faithful of the Archdiocese of Miami (September 10, 1987) [ English , Italian ]
• To the priests of the United States of America gathered in the Church of Saint Martha (September 10, 1987) [ English , Italian ]
• To the President of the United States of America, Mr Ronald Reagan (September 10, 1987) [ English , Italian , Spanish ]
• To the representatives of the Jewish organizations (September 11, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Mass for the faithful in Tamiami Park, Miami (September 11, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the faithful of Columbia (September 11, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the students and staff of the University of South Carolina (September 11, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the representatives of Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities (September 11, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Ecumenical service in the Stadium of the University of South Carolina in Columbia (September 11, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the faithful of New Orleans (September 12, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the black Catholic community of New Orleans (September 12, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the representatives of Catholic Education of New Orleans (September 12, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the young people gathered in the Louisiana Superdome Stadium of New Orleans (September 12, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the members of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities at Xavier University in New Orleans (September 12, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Mass at the "Eastern Campus" of the University of New Orleans (September 12, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Mass for the faithful of Saint Antonio, Texas (September 13, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Angelus (September 13, 1987) [ English , Italian , Spanish ]

To the members of "Catholic Charities USA" (September 13, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the seminarians in San Antonio (September 13, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the Hispanic Catholic community (September 13, 1987) [ Italian , Spanish ]

To the Polish faithful gathered in the Parish of the Virgin Mary (Panna Maria) in Texas (September 13, 1987) [ Italian ]

Radio message to the people of New Mexico (September 14, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Visit to "St. Joseph's Hospital" in Phoenix (September 14, 1987) [ Italian ]

To the people of Phoenix and the American Southwest (September 14, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the Leaders in Catholic Health Care at the Convention Centre in Phoenix (September 14, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Visit to the Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude in Phoenix (September 14, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the native Americans gathered in the Memorial Coliseum of Phoenix (September 14, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Eucharistic celebration at the Campus of the Arizona State University, Phoenix (September 14, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the faithful gathered in the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana in Los Angeles (September 15, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Teleconference with the youth of Los Angeles (September 15, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the people of the Communication Industry in Los Angeles (September 15, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Eucharistic celebration for the faithful of the ecclesiastical province of Los Angeles (September 15, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Celebration of Lauds at San Fernando Mission Church in Los Angeles (September 16, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the Bishops of the United States of America (September 16, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the students of the Immaculate Conception School in Los Angeles (September 16, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the representatives of World Religions and Religious Leaders (September 16, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Eucharistic concelebration with the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of America (September 16, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Act of entrustment to the Virgin Mary (September 16, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Mass for the rural workers at Laguna Seca in Monterey (September 17, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the faithful gathered in the Basilica of the Mission of San Carlos in Carmel (September 17, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the faithful gathered in the Mission Dolores Basilica of San Francisco (September 17, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the religious gathered in the Cathedral of Saint Mary in San Francisco (September 17, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the representatives of the Catholic Lay People of America (September 18, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Mass at Candlestick Park of San Francisco (September 18, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Visit to the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit (September 18, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the Polish community of Detroit (September 19, 1987) [ Italian , Polish ]

To the men ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in Detroit (September 19, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the people of Detroit (September 19, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Eucharistic celebration at Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit (September 19, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Farewell ceremony from the United States of America (September 19, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

To the indigenous peoples in Canada (September 20, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

Mass for the indigenous peoples in Canada at Fort Simpson (September 20, 1987) [ English , Italian ]

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A blog of the U.S. National Archives

Pieces of History

Papal visits to the United States

Pope Francis’s visit this September marks the 10th time a Pope has visited the United States.

Since the Federal Government is heavily involved in a papal visit, and the National Archives holds the records of the Federal Government, we have documents related to all these events.

The first Pope to visit the United States was Pope Paul VI, who met with President Lyndon Johnson at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. This was Paul VI’s only visit to the United States.

Nearly 15 years passed before another papal visit. In 1979, Pope John Paul II came to the United States and became the first Pope to visit the White House. Pope John Paul II visited the United States a total seven of times.

On April 16, 2008, on his 81st birthday, Pope Benedict XVI visited President George W. Bush at the White House. This was the most recent papal visit until this week.

Search our Online Catalog for more documents and photographs of papal and other dignitaries’ visits.

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A reflection of pope john paul ii's 1987 visit to the valley.

• 1987 Pope Visit.mp3

Pope John Paul II arrived in Phoenix on Sept. 14, 1987. Among his several scheduled stops was a visit to St. Joseph’s Hospital.

He toured of the Catholic hospital, including the pediatric unit. His first public address in the Valley was to the crowd outside the hospital.

"It is a special privilege for me, special grace to visit hospital,” he said.

The Valley got a sight of the Holy Father in the traditional, and famous, glass-covered popemobile. Central Avenue was lined with people on both sides of the street as he made his way to St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix. The Basilica designation is made by the Pope, granting the church special privileges. Father Warren Rouse was the pastor of St. Mary’s at the time.

“I had talked with Bishop O’Brien, oh maybe a year and a half before when we got St. Mary’s Church declared a Basilica. I said, 'Well, if the Pope ever comes to Phoenix he has to go to the Basilica because it’s his own now.' And we both laughed, and we were not laughing a year later," Father Warren Rouse said.

During the Pontiff’s time in the church, Pope John Paul II stopped to pray. This was his time away from the crowd. There were only a few people around him, including Pastor Rouse, Bishop O’Brien and Carol Lynde. She was the only cameraperson transmitting the private image to the world.

“I come from news where you cover a lot of bad. And then here was the absolute epitome of grace and goodness and holiness,” Carol Lynde said.

Lynde said she’s not catholic or dedicated to church. But working on this day was a poignant moment for her. She realized it while recording the Pope in the church.

“I’m in this moment, and I’m trying to follow focus with my camera as he’s moving, and the director who’s out in this big production truck is screaming in my ear. I guess my focus wasn’t perfect all the times ‘focus, focus, you blankity, blank, blank.’ so that’s going in my headset, while I’m having this incredible holy experience.”

After his moment of prayer, he stepped outside the St. Mary’s Basilica balcony and addressed the mass crowd in English and Spanish.

“I extend all of you, the people of Phoenix and American southwest, my greetings of joy and peace,” he said.

Among his most memorable stops was his participation at the Tekakwitha Conference at the Arizona State Fair Grounds Coliseum. It’s a national gathering of Native American Catholics.

The Pontiff was blessed and received an eagle feather. It’s the symbol of peace, love and respect.

"Present this feather to you on behalf of all the Native Americans in the North American continent," said Emmett White, of the Gila River Indian Community, who presented the Pontiff with an eagle feather.

The Pope’s visit ended with a mass for about 75,000 people at Sun Devil Stadium.

Father Warren Rouse said he remembered this event vividly.

“To me that was really a big thing, when at the proper time, whatever thousand people during the all joined together singing the our father,” he said.

The audio from Pope John Paul II's visit to Phoenix was provided courtesy of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

KJZZ's morning podcast

Pope's 1987 visit still echoes in Miami

Hundreds of thousands of people watched, cheered, slept in a field all night and endured a violent thunderstorm in early September 1987 when Pope John Paul II made the only papal visit ever to South Florida.

The two-day stopover by the pope is still billed as the largest event ever in South Florida, although the crowds fell short of predictions.

A vibrant and enthusiastic pontiff, then 67 years old, made multicultural Miami the first stop on a 10-day, nine-city tour of the United States that included a visits to Columbia, S.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco and ended in the Polish stronghold of Detroit.

"I come as a friend _ a friend of America and of all Americans: Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and Jews, people of every religion and all men and women of goodwill," John Paul said when he arrived at Miami International Airport on Sept. 10.

At every stop, he spoke in English, Spanish and Creole.

During his 23-hour stay, the pope met with President Reagan in a private session, conferred with hundreds of priests from throughout the state and, most significant of all, met with American Jewish leaders to try to ease relations between the two faiths.

"Today our dreams come true," said Miami Archbishop Edward McCarthy.

The pope rode 3 miles up the King Orange parade route on Biscayne Boulevard in one of his "popemobiles" as 150,000 waved him on. His open-air Mass at Tamiami Park drew 230,000 _ some of whom camped out all night to get within binocular distance _ but a sudden lightning storm sent thousands scurrying and ended the service in mid homily.

"This is like being a part of history," said Maria Nevergold, who made the trip to hear the pope's Mass on one of nine chartered buses from St. Juliana's parish in West Palm Beach.

The pope's visit won praise from the Cuban-American community, which feared John Paul would visit Cuba before coming to Miami. The pope later visited Cuba, in 1998.

"The fact that he came to Florida left an impression on the South Florida community," said the Rev. Leo Armbrust, then communications director for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach. "He recognized the importance of Florida and its cultural diversity."

The pope's visit was almost a year in planning. The Archdiocese of Miami spent $1.8-million on the visit, but state and Miami-Dade governments spent nearly $3.2-million, mostly on security measures, a cost that drew criticism in some quarters.

The planned meeting with American Jewish leaders was nearly scratched after the pope received newly elected Austrian president Kurt Waldheim in the Vatican. Waldheim had been suspected of being a Nazi officer who deported Jews during World War II.

Some Jewish groups planned to boycott the meeting unless the pope met with a group before his visit to discuss the Waldheim issue. John Paul did meet Jewish leaders in the Vatican in September, and the meeting at the Metro Dade Cultural Center went on as scheduled.

Both Jewish and Catholic leaders said it was a step toward improving interfaith relations.

During the meeting, John Paul repeated the Jewish anthem "Never again" in referring to the Holocaust and expressed support for a Jewish state. He also said the Palestinians deserved a homeland.

"Considerable progress was made," said Rabbi Alan Sherman of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. "Look at what's happened since then. The Vatican has recognized the state of Israel," he said.

The Sept. 11 Mass was the centerpiece of the papal visit. Workers built a tropical cathedral in Tamiami Park on the Florida International University campus.

More than 100 priests were recruited to distribute communion to an expected crowd of a half-million people, but only about 230,000 showed up.

Observers speculated that the lack of parking, fear of gridlock and the 90-degree heat persuaded many to watch the Mass on television.

John Paul was nearing the end of his sermon when the heavens exploded in lightning and rain. The pope scurried beneath the altar by the hidden staircase.

Most of the crowd was dismissed, but about 1,000 worshipers stayed behind, huddling under umbrellas and plastic garbage bags.

They were rewarded 45 minutes later when the pope emerged under a white umbrella and gave them the coveted papal blessing.

"I want to express to all of you my admiration for your persistence and perseverance," the pope said.

And when he thanked them, they screamed, "Viva el Papa! Viva el Papa!"

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POPE PLANNING TO VISIT 8 CITIES IN U.S. IN 1987

• Nov. 6, 1986

Pope John Paul II will visit eight Southern and Western cities in the United States next year, celebrating a series of outdoor masses like the ones that drew millions of Americans on his 1979 trip to Eastern and Middle Western cities, the nation's bishops announced today.

The cities he will visit in September 1987, announced officially for the first time, are Miami; Columbia, S.C.; New Orleans; San Antonio, Tex.,; Phoenix, Ariz.; Los Angeles; Monterey, Calif., and San Francisco.

Besides the open-air Roman Catholic masses and meetings with Catholic groups, he is also to meet with Jewish leaders in Miami and take part in a prayer service with representatives of various faiths at a stadium in Columbia, S.C., according to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Pope and Vatican officials have been in the news in this country in recent months mostly in regard to actions against American prelates deemed too liberal on sexual and other social issues. Recent Vatican Criticisms

Action against such men as Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen of Seattle and the Rev. Charles E. Curran, a theologian at the Catholic University of America, have upset some within the church in the United States. But the Pope is still considered very popular among the nation's 52 million Catholics, and church officials believe he will receive a joyous welcome, much as he did on his first visit.

In a statement accompanying today's announcement, the president of the bishops' national conference, Bishop James Malone of Youngstown, Ohio, said, ''The Pope will listen to the story of the Catholic experience in the United States, and, it is hoped, the nation and the world will hear it in a way that is only possible with the attention his pastoral visit will attract.'' Following is the tentative schedule: Sept. 10: The Pope arrives in Miami. While there, he will meet with priests and representatives of the Jewish community.

Sept. 11: He will celebrate an outdoor mass in Miami, then travel to Columbia, where he will meet with national ecumenical leaders and take part in a joint prayer service at the University of South Carolina stadium. Then he will fly to New Orleans.

Sept. 12: In New Orleans, he will meet with leaders of Catholic schools, take part in a youth rally, celebrate an outdoor mass, take part in a prayer service with Catholic permanent deacons and their wives.

Sept. 13: The Pope flies to San Antonio. There he will celebrate another outdoor mass, meet with Catholic charity leaders and social action leaders and meet with young women and men.

Sept. 14: The Pope will fly to Phoenix, where he will meet with Catholic health care leaders, visit the sick in a hospital, meet with Indians and celebrate mass at the Arizona State University stadium.

Sept. 15-16: After flying to Los Angeles, the Pope will meet with United States bishops, take part in sessions with communications industry leaders, conduct a conference by television directed at young people in several cities, meet with leaders of non-Christian religions and celebrate two outdoor masses.

Sept. 17: He will fly to Monterey, where he will give an address on agriculture. Then he will travel to San Francisco where he will speak and celebrate mass with representatives of religious orders.

Sept. 18: The Pope will meet with lay Catholic leaders and celebrate an outdoor mass before leaving for Rome.

Pope’s visit still etched in area’s memory

Latest News

Pope visit 1987

The scene at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there on Sept. 15, 1987.

Two women wearing newspaper hats mimicking miters await Pope John Paul II’s arrival along Main Street in Los Angeles on Sep. 15, 1987.

Josephina Hernandez and Maria James from Mexico stand on a barrel as they hope for a glimpse of Pope John Paul II outside the San Fernando Mission.

Pope John Paul II mingles with the crowd at the Universal Amphitheater.

Pope John Paul II prays at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. In the background is then-Los Angeles Archbishop Roger M. Mahony.

Pope John Paul II greets followers after leading Mass at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Franciscan sisters from San Fernando wait for Pope John Paul II at 1st and Main Streets in Los Angeles.

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