Papal trips do not happen by accident. The great success of Pope Francis’ journey to Cuba and America only succeeded because of a lot of advance planning and intense security.

We salute the members of the New York Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service and the Swiss Guard for the attention paid to detail in protecting the Holy Father, while at the same time making him accessible to millions of people in such a short time span.

Credit must also be paid to the planning committees in each of the dioceses where the pope visited. Myriads of people were involved in months of planning that is needed to make such a project come off without a hitch.

Lastly, we thank God for the gift of Pope Francis and the grace he has already brought to the Church. He walked among us and we are all the better for that. This certainly was a week like no other for the Church in America.