An Arizona family’s cross-country pilgrimage to see Pope Francis
Jennifer Soules Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 An Arizona family’s cross-country pilgrimage to see Pope Francis This trip was not off to a smooth start for the Hanning family. Ryan and Becky Hanning and their eight children were still stuck in the car rental section of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport two hours after they were supposed to be on the road. The 12-passenger van they had reserved was nowhere to be found. Finally, after a few hours of working with two rental companies, the family of 10 loaded the car with luggage and 65 quarts of pre-made meals and hit the road. Pope Francis was 35 hours and 2,300 miles away. They made it six days later, when they drove up to the University of Pennsylvania on Thursday morning. Posters, placards and portable bathrooms lined the streets miles away from where the pope was scheduled to be. “It’s beautiful to see” Hanning said. “It’s probably about the most religious thing you’ve ever seen.” Ryan Hanning is the assistant vice president for strategic partnerships and director of cultural advancement at University of Mary-Tempe. He and his family drove from Phoenix to Philadelphia to see the pope at the Festival of Families on Sept. 26 and 27. The Festival of Families combines music, entertainment and education to create a celebration of family, community and faith. The event closes with Sunday Mass...
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