Pope Francis’s Philadelphia and New York events

The archdioceses of Philadelphia and New York have announced a celebrity-filled lineup of participants at two major events during Pope Francis’s trip to the United States later this month.

Jennifer Hudson, Gloria Estefan and Harry Connick, Jr. are among the stars who will perform on the afternoon of Sept. 25, before Pope Francis leads Mass at Madison Square Garden, according to the Archdiocese of New York.

The following afternoon in Philadelphia, Mark Wahlberg will host the Festival of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 

The pre-Mass event in New York is called “A Journey in Faith,” and it’s scheduled to run for about three hours before Francis arrives at the end of an eventful day in New York. Before leading a 6:30 p.m. Mass, the pope will visit an East Harlem school, address the United Nations and participate in an interfaith ceremony at the 9/11 memorial.

The tickets have already been distributed to parishes of the Archdiocese of New York. However, the pre-show is likely welcome news to those who scored tickets: As the New York Times notes, ticket-holders have been told to arrive at Madison Square Garden at 2 p.m., for security reasons.