Las Crucens make last minute plans after receiving tickets to papal mass

Many were scrambling after the Las Cruces Catholic Diocese announced 10 days ago it would be handing out 5,000 tickets to churches so parishioners could attend the Pope’s mass in Juarez on February 17.

With such short notice, many churches ABC-7 spoke with feared parishioners wouldn’t have enough time to make the proper accommodations.

“We knew that anybody that went to Juarez would have to come the day before the Pope got there and stay there until after the day he left, so that’s like a 3 day commitment,” Father Bill McCann of Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral said.

But to the surprise of many, tickets were quick to go.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral said it handed out the last of their 40 tickets on Sunday.

Holy Cross Catholic Church also said they gave away all 100 tickets in 10 short days.

ABC-7 happened to find one parishioner, Jacqueline Roland, at Saint Albert the Great Newman Parish who found out someone returned two tickets to the papal mass. On Monday, she was contemplating whether or not she should go.

“I didn’t even come here for that I just know the receptionist and she was like come on in and she starts telling me about it and this is the second time I’ve heard it so I thought maybe its some sort of sign,” Roland said.

Roland said if she gets the OK by another parishioner to use a spare room in Juarez, she’ll be on her way to see the Pope Tuesday morning.