The Rev. Gerald Fogarty decided not to go to the pope’s mass in Washington because he’s busy teaching that day at the University of Virginia. The Rev. John Dufell considered joining him at Yankee Stadium, but he’s got a couple of weddings to do, so he also passed. Paul Kane, a retired lawyer who goes to church in Georgetown, actually laughed at the idea, and Barbara Breshcia, who prays at St. Patrick’s Cathedral several mornings a week, didn’t even know the Holy Father was coming. Buttonholed on Fifth Avenue the week before Benedict XVI’s arrival in New York, Breshcia was perplexed. “He’s coming when? This week? Oh, next week. Is he coming to St. Patrick’s?” Well, yes, and celebrating mass there, but never mind.
About The Author
Lisa Miller
Lisa Miller is a domestic correspondent for the New York Times. She is a former contributing editor to New York magazine, the former religion columnist for the Washington Post, and former senior editor of Newsweek magazine. She is the author of “Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife" and a co-author of "Take Up Space: The Unprecedented AOC."