The World Meeting of Families Congress takes place from Sept. 22 to Sept. 25 in Philadelphia and Pope Francis will be visiting from Sept. 26 to Sept. 27.
It's going to take an army of volunteers to make sure that the World Meeting of Families Congress and Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia runs smoothly -- 10,000 volunteers to be exact.
Even with such a lofty volunteer goal, the World Conference of Families has already surpassed that number for people registering to volunteer for the historic event.
The World Meeting of Families Congress takes place from Sept. 22 to Sept. 25 in Philadelphia and Francis will be visiting from Sept. 26 to Sept. 27.
Out of those that registered to volunteer, 1,729 are from New Jersey.
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Responsibilities include providing translation services, assisting with registration, greeting guests at the Philadelphia International Airport, assisting visitors with special needs and directing people around Philadelphia.
"It's a once in a lifetime experience," said Esther Fishman, 56, of Cherry Hill.
She and her husband are both volunteering and will be helping direct people on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway -- which will be the location of a Papal Mass on Sept. 27.
According to her husband Alan Fishman, Francis stands out among his predecessors and excitement for seeing him transcends religious barriers.
"I'm very excited about what he's doing," Alan Fishman said. "He's making a lot of changes and has been out there more than the other popes.
"I'm Jewish and I'm excited about seeing him."
Pittsgrove Township resident Karen Lewis, 49, will be leading a cadre of 70 volunteers from the Campbell Soup Company.
"One of my passions is volunteering and giving back to the community," Lewis said.
She and her volunteers will be helping to greet visitors to Independence Mall on Sept. 26.
"It's going to be fantastic to just be a part of it," Lewis said.
Rosemary Schaab, 52, of Glassboro, will be volunteering with 125 other associates from AmerisourceBergen are volunteering that weekend to help direct visitors.
"My niece, Melanie Poff, age 21 and also of Glassboro, is volunteering with me and I expect both of us to experience an incredibly moving intercultural, multi-faith, spiritual celebration," Schaab said.
Joan Nipe, 65, of Penns Grove, has been practicing and rehearsing since she auditioned at the end of July to sing in the choir for the pope's visit.
She auditioned at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Nipe loves choral singing and the basilica has perfect acoustics.
"It's thrilling to hear all of these beautiful voices merging together," Nipe said.
For her, the reason to be a part of the historic visit is simple.
"The possibility of seeing the pope without having to go to Rome is incredible," she said.
Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.