World Meeting of Families – Day 4: Security

When we walked out of the hotel this morning to head to the convention center, it was a different city. Many of the downtown streets were void of traffic, concrete barriers at both ends. We walked a block, and we saw more barriers. We turned north on our normal route to the convention center and were told we had to go through a secure checkpoint. We got through the security and there were just a scattering of people, but then an important looking figure and his entourage walked up to us – Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. He made a beeline for the 3 of us and asked, “Did you just come through there?  How was it?”  And then he proceeded to talk to us, ask us where we were from, and talk to Joseph about school. When he asked Joseph his name, Mayor Nutter said, “Joseph, that’s my Confirmation name!”  Finally he told us a bit about City Hall which loomed in the distance, and then he gave us three commemorative coins for the Papal visit with the City Hall and the City’s seal on the back.

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