Harlem Students Rehearse a Song to Greet the Pope

Six young students have been chosen to sing for Pope Francis when he visits New York next week. They've been rehearsing "The Prayer of Saint Francis" in honor of the Pope's name at St. Paul school in East Harlem.

 

Fourth-grader Mia Waterman said she "fainted" when she heard she would get to meet the Holy Father.

 

Waterman and the other kids, like third-grader Emily Rodriguez, were chosen at random to sing for the Pope. Rodriguez said she knows exactly what she'll say to him. 

 

"I will tell him that I love him, and to pray for the poor who don't have any money," Rodriguez said.

 

Principal Joseph Muscente's directing the children and accompanying them on piano. He said the school's success in a low-income area aligns with Pope Francis' vision. 

 

"We are an example of a successful Catholic inner-city school, and Pope Francis is super concerned about the poor and especially about Catholics in the inner-city," Muscente said. "So we represent all of those sub-groups that Pope Francis is concerned with."

 

When asked about the school's chance to participate in the Pope's visit, Muscente said "We're humbled by it. We're excited. We're very nervous."

 

The students will sing for the Pope when he visits the nearby parish Our Lady Queen of Angels on September 25th.