It’s Official: Pope Francis Will Come to Philly for World Meeting of Families (Source nbcphiladelphia.com) It’s official. Pope Francis is coming to Philly. The pontiff confirmed he plans to attend the highly-anticipated World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia next year. The three-day visit will include a public Sunday mass on the Ben Franklin Parkway on Sept. 27, 2015. Officials estimate up to 2 million people could come to see the pope. “This will be the largest event in the city’s modern history,” Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said. The mayor called the visit a “massive undertaking” that will require a “tremendous amount of coordination.” It will be the Pope’s first visit to the United States since he was elected to lead the Catholic church in March 2013. The last time a pope visited Philadelphia was in October 1979 when John Paul II to deliver mass along the Parkway. Over history, only four popes have visited the United States a total of nine times. The World Meeting of Families will be held from Sept. 22 to Sept. 27, 2015 in Philadelphia. Held every three years, the conference is a celebration of families, love and life, organizers say. It’s also the world’s largest Catholic gathering of families. Archdiocese spokeswoman Donna Farrell said that Francis is expected to arrive Sept. 25. Besides the Parkway mass, the Pontiff is also expected to attend the intercultural Festival of Families on Sept. 26, according to the archdiocese. The Vatican will reveal detailed plans in spring or summer of 2015