Apr 1, 2008 / 01:29 am
Beginning next month the Archdiocese of Baltimore will celebrate its bicentennial, with some events coinciding with Pope Benedict XVI’s first papal visit to the United States, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Archbishop of Baltimore Edwin F. O’Brien said the Pope is expected to acknowledge the archdiocese as the nation’s first.
"During his visit, our Holy Father will commemorate an important date in the history of our local church and the church in the United States: April 8, 1808," Archbishop O'Brien said at a news conference outlining the events for the bicentennial. "The Archdiocese of Baltimore will be represented in Washington and New York when the Pope honors this important anniversary."
The Archdiocese of Baltimore provided to Baltimore-area Catholics 2,500 tickets for the April 17 Mass in Washington, D.C., and 1,000 tickets for the April 20 Papal Mass in New York City.