Mayor Michael Nutter will travel with a leadership delegation for final preparatory meetings in advanced of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. The delegation, which will include several civic and business leaders, as well as key officials from the City of Philadelphia, will spend June 22-25 in Rome for various planning meetings and events.

The four-day visit by the delegation to Rome will focus upon final preparations for the September visit of the Holy Father to Philadelphia as well as a comprehensive update on the World Meeting of Families Congress, which currently projects more than 15,000 registrants from over 150  countries.  Several high-level meetings are also planned as is a press conference at La Sala Stampa (The Vatican Press Office) on June 25.

“As we are now just three months from the World Meeting of Families and the visit of the Holy Father to Philadelphia, it was critical for us to engage in these final planning meetings at the Vatican,” said Archbishop Chaput.  “We have worked very closely over the past 15 months with the City of Philadelphia and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania alongside civic and business leaders across the Philadelphia region.  To have this group of committed leaders – who represent multiple faith traditions – travel with us to Rome for these meetings is a true blessing.   Their ongoing leadership and generous support gives me continued confidence and I look forward to sharing our positive momentum with various Vatican officials as well as the Pontifical Council for the Family during our visit.”

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