In less than six months, thousands of people will flock to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.

And capping the September event will be Pope Francis’ arrival. The papal visit is expected to draw a crowd of 2 million and will mark the largest gathering in the history of the venerable city.

In this issue, our stories on pages 2 (“Traveling to the World Meeting of Families? Here’s What to Expect”) and B5 (“Must-See Catholic Sites in Philadelphia”) aim to provide our readers with the latest information for planning your attendance: from sites of interest to the registration process and transportation tips. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is taking great care to ensure a safe, enjoyable and faith-filled time for all pilgrims. At latest count, there are registrants from 153 countries.

EWTN and the Register will provide extensive coverage leading up to and during the event. In fact, we are delighted to be folding the annual EWTN Family Celebration into the World Meeting of Families, and we expect to see many familiar faces from that celebration in Philadelphia.

I hope that this foretaste of the event will help make your coordination for the visit to Philly smoother, as well as prompt those of you who are on the fence to join us.

God bless you, and see you in Philadelphia!