Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will celebrate a noontime Mass marking the first anniversary of the death of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II.

b>Monday, April 3, 2006
12:05 p.m.
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia

A close collaborator with the late Pontiff for many years and a participant in his funeral rites last year at the Vatican, Cardinal Rigali will also be homilist for the Mass. Read his reflections last year on the Pope's death. Pope John Paul II died on the evening of April 2, 2005.

Editor's Note: Television cameras will not be permitted in the Cathedral. An audio and video mult-box feed will be provided in the parking lot of the Cathedral. Please enter on 17th Street, between Race and Vine Streets. Crews will need a bnc connector and a recording deck or a live truck. Reporters and still photographers will be permitted in the Cathedral.

In addition, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will observe the first anniversary of the Pope's death with a Mass celebrated by Monsignor Joseph G. Prior, Rector, and priest members of the faculty at 4:30 p.m. on Monday April 3, 2006.

Following dinner at 6:30, the seminarians and priests will gather to view a video recording of Pope John Paul II's address to the seminarians at Saint Charles in 1979, which will follow a presentation of the new video on the priesthood titled "Fishers of Men."

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Contact
Matthew Gambino
Associate Director
215-587-3747