Where is Pope Francis? A schedule of his U.S. visit

Compiled by Christine Rushton

USA TODAY

Pope Francis arrives in St Peter's square at the Vatican on Sept. 9, 2015, for his weekly general audience.

Where in the states is Pontifice Francisco?

Pope Francis began his visit to the USA on Tuesday and plans visits to Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia. Whether you want to catch a glimpse of the Roman Catholic Church's leader or avoid the traffic, follow his six-day schedule below.

Washington

Tuesday, Sept. 22

4 p.m. — President Obama greets Pope Francis as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews.

A cardinal, Pope Francis and President Barack Obama share greetings, Tuesday.

Wednesday, Sept. 23

9:15 a.m. — President Obama welcomes the pope to the White House.

11:30 a.m. — The pope leads a prayer at St. Matthew's Cathedral with U.S. bishops.

4:15 p.m. — Pope Francis holds a canonization Mass for Junipero Serra, an 18th Spanish Franciscan missionary who established schools for American Indians along the California coast. The first-ever canonization Mass on U.S. soil was held at the nation's largest Catholic church, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Thursday, Sept. 24

10 a.m. — The Senate and House welcome the pope in a joint session. He will make the first-ever address to Congress, which will broadcast live on the Capitol's West Front. This speech will be one of four he will hold in English. The remaining 14 speeches on his U.S. trip will be in his native Spanish.

11 a.m. — He makes a stop on the Capitol's West Front, which overlooks the National Mall.

Pope Francis arrives with House and Senate leadership and local clergy, on the balcony of the Speaker of the House after he delivered an address to a joint session of Congress.

11:15 a.m. — St. Patrick's Catholic Church and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese host Pope Francis. Only 60 parishioners culled from a lottery of church volunteers and about 250 clients and volunteers from Catholic Charities will be allowed in during the visit. Catholic Charities St. Maria's Meals, which offers three weekly food programs in the Washington area, set up 55 tables for the poor and homeless to have lunch as the pope blesses the food and walks through.

Pope Francis greets the public during a visit to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Thursday.

4 p.m. — The pope departs from Washington via Joint Base Andrews for New York.

New York City

5 p.m. — Arrives in New York through John F. Kennedy International Airport.

6:45 p.m. — The pope holds an evening prayer service at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Painters finish work on the "Welcome Pope Francis" mural in New York City on Aug. 31, 2015.

Friday, Sept. 25

8:30 a.m. — Pope Francis meets with the United Nations General Assembly. It's the 70th anniversary of the U.N.

11:30 a.m. — A multireligious service is held at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

4 p.m. — The pope visits Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem.

5 p.m. — He will lead a procession through Central Park. About 80,000 tickets were awarded by the city in a lottery pick.

6 p.m. — Mass is held in Madison Square Garden. The chair he will sit on was built by mostly immigrant day laborers. Young men at Lincoln Hall Boys Haven in Lincolndale built the altar.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan unveils the chair Pope Francis will use during Mass at Madison Square Garden during his visit to New York City. The chair was constructed in a Port Chester garage by immigrant day laborers and will be used by the pope Sept. 26.

Saturday, Sept. 26

8:40 a.m. — Pope Francis departs New York for Philadelphia through John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Philadelphia

9:30 a.m. — Arrives at Atlantic Aviation.

10:30 a.m. — Mass is held at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

4:45 p.m. — The pope visits Independence Mall — the birthplace of American democracy. This historic area of Philadelphia is home to the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed.

Independence Hall is where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed.

7:30 p.m. — Pope Francis stops by the Festival of Families on Benjamin Franklin Parkway and holds a prayer vigil with the World Meeting of Families — the largest meeting of Catholic families held every three years. Singer Arethra Franklin will perform for the Pope as well as Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Colombian singer/songwriter Juanes, the Philadelphia Orchestra, The Fray, comedian Jim Gaffigan and Mark Wahlberg — who will host the event.

Sunday, Sept. 27

9:15 a.m. — He holds a papal meeting with bishops at St. Martin's Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, right outside Philadelphia.

11 a.m. — The pope visits Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. Inmates at a neighboring prison — Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center — built the chair that the pope will sit on. Several inmates learned carpentry through vocational workshops.

Rameen Perrin, left, and Evan Davis work on a chair designed for Pope Francis to use during his visit to a prison in Philadelphia. Perrin and Davis are inmates learning carpentry.

4 p.m. — Mass is held with the World Meeting of Families.

7 p.m. — At Atlantic Aviation, he talks with organizers, volunteers and benefactors of the World Meeting of Families. Philadelphia International Airport expects 20%-25% more passengers traveling during the pope's visit — that's similar to a very busy Thanksgiving holiday.

8 p.m. — Pope Francis departs for Rome.

Featured Weekly Ad