Officials for the World Meeting of Families announced Friday that they have raised $30 million in cash and in-kind donations - 67 percent of the estimated $45 million goal - to support Pope Francis’ visit in September.
“Money is useful to carry out many things, for works to support humanity. But when your heart is attached to it, it destroys you.” – Pope Francis, Forbes.
Expenses for the four-day event, to take place Sept. 22-25, will include security and safety measures, technology, transportation, labor and infrastructure enhancements, including telecommunications cabling and pedestrian-control barriers, according to CatholicPhilly.com, which reported the news.
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World Meeting planners expect to clarify costs for the event after they receive a formal itinerary from the Vatican of the papal visit, perhaps by the summer, CatholicPhilly said.
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the regional economic impact of the congress and the papal visit to be more than $418 million.