bronx awaiting the pope's visit to new york. dari: as jessica shows us, parishioners say the pontiff's latin america roots are a major source of pride. >> reporter: here in the bronx, half of the residents are hispanic. at st. nicholas, during spanish mass on sunday, more than a thousand parishioners attend. for the past two months, they have been praying for the arrival of the holy father. enthusiasm is growing among hispanic catholics as the date gets closer to the arrival of the pope. >> his coming to new york is a bless for all of us. >> reporter: we caught up with parishioners at st. nicholas. it's a blessing that the lord has sent us. the latino community seems to have a special bond with the pontiff. >> i feel very proud. >> he's always like -- he kissed a kid. it doesn't matter whatever. he go to the prison to wash the prisoners' feet. >> reporter: the message resonates among the community. >> he's latino and he knows how to do his job and he's a humanitarian. >> there's a sense of oneness with the holy father. there's a sense of he's one of us. he walks with us. >> reporter: this father says among the community, there's a g