City, Bishop, Invite Pope Francis to St. Augustine for 450th Anniversary in 2015: Hastings Location Could Host Some One Million Pilgrims

 
 Pope Francis is visiting the United States during 2015, and has been invited by Bishop Felipe Estevez and Mayor Joseph Boles to visit St. Augustine. 
A presentation on the invitations was made by Cathedral Parish Pastor Father Thomas Willis and Mayor Boles at Monday's City Commission meeting.
City of St. Augustine staff has already determined that a papal visit could be achieved by combining three properties -- St. Johns County Fairgrounds, a sod farm, and St. Ambrose Church.  A papal Mass site at this site could hold some one million people, and would be accessible from I-95.
This is near where migrant farm workers live and work in the hot Florida sun. They are too often exploited and underpaid by crew leaders -- some of whom have been convicted of federal crimes like peonage (slavery) and found civilly liable for back wages. Many farm workers are Roman Catholic and Hispanics, just like the 800 people who founded St. Augustine in 1565. 
The same City staffers who brilliantly worked together on logistics, managing large crowds, and who helped bring Mumford & Sons to town last year are prepared to assist with logistics for a papal visit in 2015.
How cool is that?
Last year, an ingenious system of shuttle buses and bicycle parking helped make large crowds manageable. In 2015, a repeat of the feat is likely, but on a much larger scale.
Pope Francis was elected Pope March 13, 2013. 
Pope Francis preaches daily. Pope Francis speaks out against church hierarchy luxury and authoritarianism.  Read the Rolling Stone article.
Pope Francis speaks out against anti-Gay bigotry, saying: "who am I to judge" (Gay people)?. He speaks out against exploitation of the 99% by the money-worshiping, soul-shriveling cult of Big Business.
Pope Francis is reforming and re-energizing the Roman Catholic Church, the largest on Earth.
Pope Francis is reforming the Curia and the Vatican Bank.
An Argentinian by birth, Pope Francis is a Jesuit, the first member of the Society of Jesus to serve as Pope. 
As a graduate of a Jesuit university (Georgetown University's Father Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C.), I was taught diplomacy in the Jesuit tradition. 
President William Jefferson Clinton was likewise a graduate of Georgetown's Foreign Service School.
When Clinton was a Georgetown freshman, Father Otto Hentz asked Clinton about becoming a Jesuit, impressed that Clinton's logic was so strong and that he he could see the merits of (and argue) any side of any question. Bill Clinton responded to Fr. Otto Hentz, "Father, don't you think I should become a Catholic first?" Clinton was and is a Baptist.
When I heard the news that Pope Francis was elected last March 13th, I telephoned City Manager John Patrick Regan, P.E., reaching him at his home that evening, at about 6 PM. I told him that I never had any doubt that the Pope would visit St. Augustine for our 450th.
As Cathedral Parish Pastor Fr. Thomas Willis said Monday night, the founding of our Nation's Oldest European-founded City, St. Augustine, on September 8, 1565 began both "good" (evangelizing Christianity) and "evil" (homicides, including Native American Indians).
A papal visit is an occasion for continued healing.  The Pope can inspire us to end war, violence, corruption, poverty, environmental depredations, racism, sexism, homophobia and exploitation of our planet and our people.
The Pope might be asked to dedicate a statue of St. Francis here, near our future St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore. www.staugustgreen.com
It is a time for healing here. Let the healing continue with a papal visit here in 2015.
Yes we can!

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Ed Slavin
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
904-377-4998