Asbury Park Press front page Monday, Sept. 28 2015

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MONDAY 09.28.15

VOLUME 136

NUMBER 232

SINCE 1879

ADVICE 3CBUSINESS 8ACLASSIFIED 5CCOMICS 4CLOCAL 3A

LOTTERIES 2AOBITUARIES 9AOPINION 11ASPORTS 1DWEATHER 12D

PHILADELPHIA The setting was grand, but PopeFrancis’ parting message to America was simple.

The “little signs of tenderness” in family life are thebiggest gifts people can give, the pope told a crowd ofclose to a million people during the homily of Sunday’spapal Mass.

“Like a blessing before we go to bed, or a hug afterwe return from a hard day’s work, love is shown by littlethings, by attention to small daily signs which make usfeel at home,” the pontiff said in Spanish. “Faith growswhen it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our fam-ilies, our homes, are true domestic churches.”

On this cloudy, temperate day, much of Philadel-phia’s Center City was a church. People began stream-ing toward the Benjamin Franklin Parkway before day-break — some even camped out overnight Saturday —and transformed the area into a celebration of faith.

Most folks never got close to Francis, viewing theproceedings on big screens posted throughout thestreets, but seemed to enjoy sharing the moment none-

Mass for the masses

MICHAEL PEREZ/AP

Throngs of people watch and listen on Sunday as Pope Francis celebrates Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia.

See PHILLY, Page 6A

JASON TOWLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Pope Francis greets supporters in front of the CathedralBasilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia Sunday.

MORE COVERAGE

‘Normal day’ for Philly church. 6A » Family drives fromArgentina to see pontiff. 7A » Scenes from the event. 10ASee APP.com for videos and galleries from the papal visit

Pope caps visit with a flourish in PhillyJERRY CARINO@NJHOOPSHAVEN

PHILADELPHIA Babies were kissed. Tears wereshed. Memories were made — and widely disseminatedon social media.

And when it was all over, the uncounted mass of hu-manity that packed the city Sunday for a chance tocatch a glimpse of Pope Francis united in a great, col-lective “Amen.”

The taxing trek was worth it.Like a grandfather out for a leisurely Sunday drive,

the pope took his sweet time coming up the BenjaminFranklin Parkway prior to his 4 p.m. Mass.

And the hundreds of thousands he passed along theway enjoyed every second of it.

This was no drive-by blessing. The 78-year-old pon-tiff’s pedestrian pace made many feel as if they had hada personal encounter with him.

“Emotional breathtaking unbelievable,” a teary Che-ryl Krzaczyk of Ship Bottom wrote in a text messageshortly after seeing Francis. “I can’t stop crying.”

Nobody who experienced it firsthand will ever look

Pilgrims: Wait was worthit to see Pope FrancisSHANNON MULLEN @MULLENAPP

See PILGRIMS, Page 7A

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