Bishop Mitchell Rozanski and Congressman Richard E. Neal outside the U.S. Capitol prior to the speech of Pope Francis to a Joint Session of Congress.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Some 30 students from Western Massachusetts, including five from St. Joseph's High School, traveled to Washington, D.C., for Pope Francis II's address to a joint session of Congress.
The students were provided with tickets by U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., to a restricted viewing area outside the Capitol. Bishop Mitchell Rozanski of the Diocese of Springfield was Neal's guest in the House chamber during the pope's address on Thursday.
"I was honored today to be the guest of Cong[ressman] Neal in the House Gallery during the Holy Father's historic address to a Joint Session of Congress. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Congressman and his staff for the hospitality shown to me and our Catholic high school student delegation," Rozanski wrote on his Facebook page, which has pictures of the pope.
Rozanski was also among the U.S. bishops who met with the pontiff on Wednesday at St. Matthew's Cathedral.
Ten students each were selected from Cathedral High in Wilbraham and Holyoke Catholic in Chicopee, and five each from St. Joe's and St. Mary's in Westfield. Neal greeted the students at his Springfield office on Monday, according to Masslive.com.
They and their chaperones left for Washington on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the congressman provided photos of the students and their chaperones in Washington.
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Bishop Mitchell Rozanski and Congressman Richard E. Neal outside the U.S. Capitol prior to the speech of Pope Francis to a Joint Session of Congress.
