Their Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, may never get to Arizona as their last pope did in 1987, so more than 100 Valley Catholics are making a pilgrimage east next week to witness some of the pontiff's six-day visit.

Lawn Griffiths on Spiritual Life

Ten Catholics from St. Anne's Catholic Community in Gilbert, 10 from Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Queen Creek and one from Christ the King Catholic Church in Mesa are among those crossing the country to see the German-born pope.

The largest is a group of 96 Valley Hispanics who belong to the Neocatechumenal Way, most of them members of St. Catherine of Sienna parish in Phoenix. The St. Anne's pilgrims are part of that group. They will go to Washington, D.C., and New York City, most with tickets to attend Masses at either the new National Stadium in Washington on Thursday or at Yankee Stadium in New York City on April 20, the day the pope returns to Rome.

Many going from Arizona are young Catholics who will also join in a youth rally with the pope on April 19 at a seminary in Yonkers, N.Y.

"When I heard he was coming, I decided I wanted to go," said Isaura Miramontes, 22, of Queen Creek, a leader in the youth program at the parish. "Two of my best friends in the youth group are going, too."

She called it "the chance of a lifetime."

"He is the leader of our church, and that is a big thing," said Miramontes, who said young Catholics must "step up and be good role models because we have a lot of youth here that need help," and that Pope Benedict has been the kind of leader and role model young Catholics admire.

Gloria and René Romero, their daughter Jazmine, 13, and nephew Pedro Romero have tickets for the Washington Mass on Thursday.

The family, which is part of the Neocatechumenal pilgrims, had previously considered going to Australia in July to see Pope Benedict when he speaks to World Youth Day in Sydney. That trip proved too expensive.

"Then to hear that he was coming into our backyard, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to go," Gloria Romero said. "It is just the love we have for him and the church that moved me to be part of this."

Bishop Thomas Olmsted, leader of the 565,000 registered Catholics in the Diocese of Phoenix, will take part in the Washington leg of the trip Tuesday through Friday. He will participate in a series of events with the pope along with other top leaders of American Catholics, said diocesan spokesman Jim Dwyer.

About nine priests from the diocese plan to make the trip, most helping out in the distribution of the Holy Eucharist during Masses, said the Rev. David Sanfilippo, pastor of St. Catherine and diocesan vicar general, who will serve communion at Yankee Stadium. The archdioceses of both New York and Washington, D.C., allocated Mass tickets to dioceses around the country. Among the priests going are the Rev. Michael Shannon, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Queen Creek, and the Rev. Michael Goodyear, priest with the Newman Center at Arizona State University Polytechnic. The Rev. Pedro Velez of St. Daniel's parish in Scottsdale is also making the trip.

Joining the pope when he celebrates Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on April 19 with priests, deacons and others will be the Rev. Emile "Bud" Pelletier Jr., the diocese's vicar of stewardship

When the holy leader arrives in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, it will be Pope Benedict's first visit to the U.S. since his election in 2005. And he will mark his 81st birthday on Wednesday when he goes to the White House to meet President Bush and first lady Laura Bush. Pope John Paul II made seven trips to the U.S. during his more than 26 years as pope, the last in 1999 to St. Louis for World Youth Day.

Sanfilippo said he was heartened by the demand for tickets from diocesan Catholics to make the trip and pay the costs.

"I think it is a real sign of their devotion and love for the church and for the Vicar of Christ, the successor of St. Peter," he said. "This is a momentous occasion, and they want to be part of it. They want to be there to pray with him."

A special Mass is 7 p.m. today at St. Catherine of Siena 6401 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, where the Neocatechumenal Way pilgrims will take part in "rites of blessing and sending." Prayers will be said for the pope that he will be safe and will have a productive dialogue with American Catholics, political leaders and others.

Rosa Ramirez of Phoenix, a lay Catholic who, with her husband, Ramon, is coordinating the group's trip, said seeing the pope will be a major moment in her faith. She likened him to St. Peter, who founded it.

"Where the pope is, there is the church," she said.