Yesterday our office had the pleasure of providing tickets for more than 1,500 people to attend Pope Francis’ historic visit to the Capitol. This three-day visit – which included the first-ever Papal address to a Joint Session of Congress – generated tremendous excitement throughout the region, and led tens of thousands to flock to the city for a glimpse of the pontiff.

Weeks ago it had been announced that following his remarks to Congress, Pope Francis would make his way out onto the West Front Lawn of the Capitol, and again interact with those gathered to see him. For this limited-attendance gathering, Senate offices were each given only 200 tickets. Because of Virginia’s proximity to the city, demand for tickets from our office far exceeded this number. For us to share in this moment with as many Virginians as possible, we worked with other offices throughout the Senate to round up any tickets that had gone unclaimed.

Through the generosity of dozens of Senate offices, we also were able to provide hundreds of tickets for the families of our brave Capitol Police force – a small token of our appreciation for their daily service.

When members of our staff arrived at 5:30 AM to distribute the remaining tickets, we were greeted by a line of people waiting outside of our office, all bright with enthusiasm for the opportunity to witness Pope Francis’ historic appearance.

Written by Staff Assistants Micah Barbour and Zach Lewis.