From a Nebraska family of 12 to a New Jersey souvenir maker who almost lost his shirt when the pope canceled last year's U.S. visit, American Catholics cheered the news Thursday that John Paul II will be coming in October.
The unlucky businessman, miraculously, again wants a piece of the action. "After last year," said Robbi Villani, "we sure . . . know what we're doing."Last year the pope had planned to visit the dioceses of New York, Brooklyn, Newark, N.J., and Baltimore but postponed the trip while he recovered from hip-replacement surgery.
On Thursday, the Vatican announced he will make the trip this fall, arriving Oct. 4 at Newark and flying home from Baltimore on Oct. 8.
The family of Pat and Debbie Wahlmeier of Juniata, Neb., was to have come to New York last year to meet the pope - an honor that went with being selected the Knights of Columbus' International Family of the Year.
Debbie said she hoped the family, which includes 10 children, three of them adopted, could come East in October.
"But it's a real blessing just to have him come to the U.S.," she said. "We've been concerned about his health. We've prayed for him."
Last year's trip was canceled at a time when the 74-year-old pontiff was looking particularly frail and tired. But the Vatican denied he was seriously ill, and the pope resumed foreign travel in January.
Villani is looking forward to the visit. The Newark souvenir maker won the contract to make T-shirts, hats and other memorabilia to sell at the pope's scheduled Mass last year at Giants Stadium in northern New Jersey.
The archdiocese had cancellation insurance. Villani did not.