Mayor Dayne Walling to Visit Washington, D.C. to Join President and First Lady Obama for White House Welcome of Pope Francis
Flint, Michigan – September 18, 2015 – Flint Mayor Dayne Walling will be travelling to our nation’s capital to join a White House delegation welcoming Pope Francis to the White House during his trip to the United States. Pope Francis will arrive in Washington, D.C. on September 22 and will be greeted the following day during a ceremony hosted by President and First Lady Obama on the White House’s South Lawn. Mayor Walling will be joined by City Attorney Pete Bade to represent Flint in a welcome delegation of officials and leaders from around the country.
“As a person of deep Christian faith and strong patriotism, there is no place in the world I would rather be that day than on the South Lawn of the White House with the President and First Lady to welcome the Pope. I am honored to be able to attend this once in a lifetime experience and represent our great City of Flint,” said Walling. The Mayor is a long time, active member of the Court Street Methodist Church.
City Attorney Pete Bade, who will be the Mayor’s guest to the ceremony, is a devout Catholic and a member of St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Flint. Bade says he feels honored and blessed to join Mayor Walling for this historic visit. “In the past two and half years, Pope Francis has captured the world’s attention with his humility and constant message of compassion for the poor,” said Bade.
The welcome ceremony for the Pope is the primary focus of the Mayor’s trip to D.C., but while there he will also be meeting with federal representatives to discuss matters important to the City of Flint. Additional information on the Mayor’s schedule during his trip will be made available on Monday, September 21. The Mayor and City Attorney’s visit to Washington, D.C. is being paid for by each of them personally and will not cost the City of Flint in any way.
