St. Thomas and St. Catherine students will brave a crowd of more than a million people Sunday in order to celebrate Mass with Pope Francis.

Though the Mass is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., Tommies and Katies will arrive at Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the event will take place, by 8:30 a.m. in order to stake out prime viewing spots. Peer Ministry coordinator Brooke Harding said dealing with crowds will be a challenge, but that the group can handle it.

“A challenge is going to be to find food. If we’re trying to secure spots, a challenge is going to be probably trying to find bathrooms, getting through blocked off areas, also just a lot of confusion probably, not knowing exactly how things are going to play out and when they’re going to happen,” Harding said.

And while students will be facing their second day of lines and crowds, Harding said it’s all worth it.

“I was thinking about this today, actually, why am I here and why am I sacrificing my comfort and my time and a weekend and enduring the crowds and people pushing me and hitting me,” Harding said. “It’s the highest authority of Christ on Earth, the vicar of Christ is in our midst, present, and we get to celebrate the highest form of prayer with him tomorrow at the Mass. So I think it’s a one-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Tomorrow’s Mass will be the last of Francis’ six-day trip to the United States. He arrived in Philadelphia Saturday morning and spoke to a large audience about religious liberty and focusing on the acceptance of immigrants.

Colleen Murphy, a graduate student assistant for St. Thomas’ Campus Ministry, agreed that seeing the Pope is worth the crowds and the wait.

“To be there as the pope celebrates Mass, that’s such a gift,” Murphy said. “Mass is just the pinnacle of our faith, and it’s just incredible to be there with the pope…Christ is so visible in Pope Francis, so that makes it all worth it.”

Grace Pastoor can be reached past6138@stthomas.edu.