“As an American, as a Catholic and as a proud resident of northeast Pennsylvania, I will always remember today as one the greatest of my life. To be so near to the Holy Father and to hear his words in person was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The fact that Mary Grace and I had the chance to do this on our native soil made it even better. Listening to Pope Benedict with our nation’s capitol as the backdrop was awe-inspiring and made me so proud to be an American. I was happy that my neighbors, fellow Mayors Leighton and Doherty, were able to join me. In light of today being the anniversary of the tragic events at Virginia Tech and with so many heavy issues facing this nation and world, I hope all of us can learn from the Pope’s message of hope and peace.”

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