Pope Benedict XVI closes his eyes following Communion during Mass at Nationals Park in Washington April 17. (CNS/Nancy Wiechec)

Pope's U.S. visit expected to yield spiritual returns beyond costs

While critics of the money spent on the papal visit have argued the funds could have gone to better use by feeding the hungry or providing aid to the needy, Brian Reynolds, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky., said the investment in the event has inspired the faithful and will ultimately help those in need all over the planet.

Looking into Pope Benedict XVI's eyes as she genuflected in front of him during his visit to the former World Trade Center site, Julie Malik knew the pope understood what she had experienced on a disastrous September morning more than six years ago.

The trip in review:

• Costs of papal visit to U.S. hard to pin down
  
• The trip in photos: A CNS slideshow
  
• Impact of pope's visit goes beyond his six-day stay, say observers
  
• Pope achieved objectives critical to future of U.S. church
  
• Pope avoids politicking, urges strong moral focus in public policy
  
• U.S. Catholics give warm welcome to a previously unfamiliar pope
  
• Children give pope final U.S. send-off with colorful birthday cards
  
• Chinese priest calls concelebrating papal Mass 'event of a lifetime'
  
• Papal trip volunteers impress nuns with their generosity, spirit
  
• Archbishop lauds pope's acknowledgment of Eastern Catholic churches
  
• Papal medallion given to people during visit features Capitol, U.N.
  
• Roundup: In U.S., pope preaches message of hope built on faith
  
• Ronald McDonald House residents get unscripted moments with pope
  
• (More on Ronald McDonald children meeting the pope: CNS Blog)
  
• Mother calls pope's blessing of youths with disabilities 'validation'
  
• Even hidden areas at 'cathedral of baseball' transformed for Mass
  

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The visit day by day

Day 6:

• Pope says it was ‘joy’ to witness faith of U.S. Catholics
  
• Text of pope at farewell ceremony
  
• Yankees' owner says pope's message of brotherhood 'rings loud, clear'
  
• 'Move forward' in faith, pope urges Catholics at Yankee Stadium
  
• Text of pope at Yankee Stadium
  
• Video instructs priests, deacons on giving Communion to stadium crowd
  
• At ground zero, pope offers silent prayer, comforts survivors
  
• The sounds of ground zero
  
• Text of pope at ground zero
  
• U.N. room seen as reminder of world's need for prayer, meditation
  
• Catholic hospital personnel tend to needs of rally participants
  
• Chance to meet pope sparks excitement, nervousness for 12-year-old
  

Day 5:

• Pope urges young people to banish evils of drugs, poverty, racism
  
• Text of pope at youth rally
  
• Pope blesses disabled youths at Yonkers seminary event
  
• Text of pope to youths with disabilities
  
• Enthusiastic crowd greets Pope Benedict on New York's Fifth Avenue
  
• A coup for the Catholic Channel
  
• Spokesman says pope not planning changes to church laws on abuse
  
• Pope's visit shows 'how far we've come,' Jewish New Yorker says
  
• Seminary students say they desire to emulate pope's example
  
• Midwesterners join cathedral crowd hoping to catch glimpse of pope
  
• On third anniversary of election, pope thanks Americans for love
  
• Christian leaders credit pope for bringing them together
  
• German sweets beckon outside church welcoming Bavarian-born pope
  
• Ecumenical meeting marks first time Mormons join in papal gathering
  
• Man who sang for the pope at synagogue calls it 'powerful' experience
  
• Pope urges U.S. church to 'put aside all anger' and unite
  
• Text of pope at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
  
• Young adults holding vigil rewarded with papal handshake
  

Day 4:

• Pope says divisions, abandoning tradition weaken Christian witness
  
• Text of pope at ecumenical gathering
  
• At New York synagogue, pope encourages 'bridges of friendship'
  
• Text of pope at synagogue
  
• College educators say they're encouraged, challenged by pope's words
  
• Scripted interreligious encounter sparks spontaneous remarks
  
• Pope's visit to synagogue 'clear message' of good will, rabbi says
  
• Pope, at U.N., says no government or religion can limit human rights
  
• Text of pope to U.N. General Assembly
  
• Four key phrases help unlock meaning of pope's speech at U.N.
  
• Pope compares U.N. workers to family, where strong protect weak
  
• Text of pope to U.N. staff
  
• Diplomats welcome Pope Benedict's visit to United Nations
  
• Brooklyn students greet Pope Benedict as he arrives in New York
  

Day 3:

• At Nationals Park, a very long day, but 'the Holy Spirit was there'
  
• Pope meets privately with victims of priestly sexual abuse
  
• Pope urges U.S. Catholic educators to lead students to deeper faith
  
• Text of pope to educators
  
• Pope meets interreligious leaders, says dialogue discovers truth
  
• Text of pope to other religions
  
• Text of pope to Jewish community
  
• Bishops feel hopeful, optimistic after meeting with pope
  
• Catholic University students thrilled to welcome pope 'on our turf'
  
• Pope urges U.S. Catholics to renew their missionary energy
  
• Text of pope at Nationals Park
  
• Faithful excited to be part of papal Mass in Washington
  
• D.C. papal Mass a multicultural mix of ancient and modern
  
• Front-row seats not necessary to enjoy papal Mass
  
• St. Louis couple say papal meeting boosted philanthropic goals
  
• Morning commuters joined by early morning Massgoers
  
• Papal Masses at baseball stadiums not new to U.S. Catholics
  

Day 2:

• For pope's birthday, bishops give him check for $870,000
  
• Pope calls sex abuse scandal 'countersign' to Gospel of life
  
• Bishops' president says U.S. church finds great hope in pope's visit
  
• Text of pope to U.S. bishops
  
• Text of Cardinal George at basilica
  
• U.S. ambassador says pope-Bush meeting was proud day for Americans
  
• The pope and the prez
  
• Pope, Bush discuss fighting terrorism while respecting human rights
  
• Text of pope at White House
  
• SNAP says pope's remarks on sex abuse scandal not enough
  
• Catholic school students give pope birthday gifts that will last
  
• Long waits, chilly start don't deter crowd at White House ceremony
  
• Nine-year-old boy gets impromptu audience with pope
  
• White House puts on a colorful show for pope and thousands
  
• Not your normal papal birthday
  
• Multiple choruses of “Happy Birthday” mark the pope’s 81st
  
• Crowds of Catholics line Pennsylvania Avenue to welcome pope
  
• Pope meets U.S. Catholic school students at papal nunciature
  

Day 1:

• Groundskeeper says ballpark grass will be safe from crowds
  
• Children welcome pope on lawn of apostolic nunciature in Washington
  
• 'Lidia' of public television fame to cook for pope in New York
  
• Pope Benedict greeted by Bush as he begins first U.S. visit
  
• Mum's the word about menu for pope's 81st birthday celebration
  
• In-flight amenities: Journalists well-treated on papal plane
  
• Pope hopes to help heal wounds of priestly sex abuse during U.S. trip
  
• Transcript of papal inflight press conference
  
• Waiting for the pope: Planning to chat with him about peace and cats
  

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Current articles from Faith Alive!, our weekly religious education series:

• Lasting effects of a papal visit
  
• Papal trips: More than just a news event
  
• The extraordinary attention accorded Pope Benedict XVI
  
• The papacy and the media: Opportunities and challenges
  
• The papacy through the ages
  
• Why the papacy matters to all Americans
  

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More Stories:

• No free-for-all: Papal visits follow tight framework
  
• Yankee Stadium Mass to mark bicentennials of four U.S. archdioceses
  
• In U.S. Masses, pope to carry pastoral staff of Blessed Pope Pius IX
  
• At ground zero, pope will pray for victims and families, world peace
  
• Cardinal: Papal events with Bush don't signal approval of policies
  
• Four choirs rehearse for papal Mass at Nationals Park
  
• Cardinal: Pope's reflections should help Americans during elections
  
• Liturgical logistics: Keeping track of details for pope's U.S. Masses
  
• Pope says he wants to bring message of hope to U.S., U.N.
  
• Pope brings Vatican with him when he leaves Vatican City for U.S.
  
• Pope to make two additional visits with Jewish leaders in U.S.
  
• Carpenter says building altar for papal Mass is an 'awesome' job
  
• Singers who will perform for pope consider it a singular experience
  
• Grinding for God: Pope to get 'official papal skateboard' from youths
  
• In U.S., pope likely to address provocative, fundamental themes
  
• Vatican's official program for papal trip to U.S. shares more details
  
• U.S. ambassador expects pope's April visit to be thought-provoking
  
• Security requirement to keep Sikhs from interreligious papal event
  
• Papal trip logo shows pope with open arms, 'Christ Our Hope' message
  

CNS preview series for papal visit:

• Nuncio says pope comes to strengthen faith, hope, love of U.S. church
  
• In U.S., pope will find multicultural church marked by stronger laity
  
• Scholar, pastor, enigma: German pope defies easy caricature
  
• Pope Benedict's life, ministry influenced by university experiences
  
• Pope to address broad spectrum of U.S. Catholic educators
  
• Papal visit on CUA campus excites students
  
• Pope expected to encourage vocations in visit to New York seminary
  
• U.S. ecumenical ties strong despite challenges to Christian unity
  
• Pope to gather with 200 religious leaders at interfaith meeting
  
• Planning papal trips takes diplomacy, collaboration, fine-tuning
  
• Pope's visit to United Nations 'eagerly awaited,' says Vatican nuncio
  
• What popes have said about the U.N. -- or at the U.N.
  
• Through contacts, past trips, pope has finger on pulse of U.S. church
  
• Pope Benedict will find a Big Apple that remains city of immigrants
  
• German Catholics have left their mark on history of Manhattan
  

On the scene: Coverage from D.C., N.Y. archdiocesan papers -- click here

Papal Itinerary

Other Sites

USCCB site
www.uspapalvisit.org

Archdiocese of Washington
www.adw.org/papalvisit

Archdiocese of New York
www.archny.org/papalvisit