st. patrick's cathedral. after his historic address to a joint meeting of congress. tonight the striking message he delivered. >> also developing news of a fatal collision on a bridge in seattle. a violent crash involving a packed charter bus and amphibious tour boat. late details. >>> stampede horror. at least 700 dead, 800 injured as disaster strikes again in one of the world's holiest places. >>> breaking a scandal. the small teen from an american university that discovered a shocking secret and brought the world's largest automaker to its knees." nightly news" begins right now. >>> pope francis in america, this is nbc "nightly news with lester holt." >> good evening. we are back in new york tonight virtually outside our 30 rock studios and witnessing the massive crowds lining fifth avenue right now outside st. patrick's cathedral, awaiting the arrival of pope francis. they are about to see him. the motorcade now turning on to fifth avenue. we expect him to get into the pope mobile very shortly and make a

st. patrick's. looking ahead to tomorrow, a procession through central park. mass at madison square garden. then over the weekend, heading down to philadelphia. a very busy schedule for a man who has already done so much in just about 36 hours. we're going -- first of all, bishop barron, thank you so much. thanks to our correspondents at the capitol. we'll have coverage throughout the day on msnbc and nbc news.com. >>> a special edition of news 4 midday begins now as we take a live look at pictures from capitol hill. you just watched here on news 4 as pope francis became the first pontiff to address the united states congress. wah lawmakers and he gave a moving and powerful speech, touching on a number of issues, including immigration, including religious liberty, and also the sanctity of life. this is his last day in the nation's capital before traveling to new york and he has a few more events before taking off. now that his capitol hill address has wrapped up, he'll visit st. patrick's church at

st. patrick's. delia, in terms of the importance of coming to new york for this pope and the importance really of coming to the united states, i think it surprises a lot of people to learn it is his first visit to the united states in his entire life. >> absolutely. if you consider he's 78 years old and he has never been significant in the sense that he's not been a lot of places, you know this is a man who'd really like to stay at home with his people, with the people of argentina. while he was bishop and archbishop he hadn't even been to the holy land until he went there as pope last year. so now that he's come to new york i think we're shifting slightly from what we saw in washington when he was speaking to the american people and emphasizing i am one of you from the americas. and now we see him coming to new york. and tomorrow speaking at the u.n. where he will probably continue that theme but obviously on an international scale speaking to a larger audience. >> excitement clearly building over

st. patrick.this is not a long stretch right here and some people have managed to get in there and we talked to some people who got into these positions at 6:00 this morning so he will have some public access right here. >> you wonder -- >> reporter: and you wonder if he'll even get an opportunity to do what we saw him do on constitution avenue. the guards brought babies up for him to kiss and that sort of thing. >> reporter: exactly. my guess is not so much tonight, but tomorrow you will see a lot of that all around central park, they're shutting down a third of central park so he can do that very thing and that is going to be a logistical challenge for security around central park because you will really have hundreds of thousands of people in that park tomorrow. and that is going to give him the opportunity to do a lot of that then. >> watching that scene -- >> reporter: people weren't really sure if he was going to be in the popemobile. >> that is fifth avenue in manhattan and a familiar scene

st. patrick's. this morning, francis became the the first pope in history to address a joint meeting of congress. he scoldedly the lawmakers, and they loved it. here's nancy cordes. >> mr. speaker! the pope of the holy see. ( applause ) >> reporter: the first pope ever to set foot in the capitol was greeted with rapturous applause. like any good guest, he started out with a compliment saying he was glad to be... ( applause ) >> reporter: and then the argentinian-born pope waded into many of the issues that divide these lawmakers, urging them to reject what he called a mindset of hostility when it comes to illegal immigrants and refugees. ( applause ) ( applause ) >> reporter: he also called on congress to combat climate change, an issue dear to many democrats. >> reporter: on social issues, the pope said every life is sacred, a reference to both abortion and to the death penalty, which he argued should be abolished. >> reporter: and he seemed to be referring to same-sex marriage when he said this: >

st. patrick's. dari: that means your time is going to come very soon, very shortly you'll have that opportunity, that special memorable opportunity. steve: you aced it on live tv. if you can do it here, you can do it in person, no problem. dari: we're so grateful you took the time to stop into our studios and say hello and tell us about your experience. you'll have to come back after and tell us how it was. >> okay. dari: and bring the pictures. i'm sure your mom and dad, who are off camera, are going to take pictures. steve: enjoy. we're going to leave you for a moment as we take a look at the pope in his famous fiat heading to st. patrick cathedral. our coverage will continue as this momentous trip from the pope continues. we're going to keep going. if you're looking at this shot, he is in the passenger side back seat if you're trying to sneak a peek of that as we all are as heliport. at some point, it's our understanding as this car makes its way up fifth avenue, he switches out for the popemobil

st. patricks and you were able to give us a little bit of a timeline, the st. tricks cathedral timeline which i thought was particularly interesting. >> it was built back in the middle of the 19th century and it began under hughs and founder of fortum university and he had a vision that catholics who were at the time regarded as a sort of despised minority and seen as immigrants and poor and anticatholocism in the press and wanted to give the catholics a home be fitting their tradition and as the protestant churches of new york was built he built st. patricks cathedral. >> i think it's sorted and david we are taking this moment before the pope gets to st. patricks. >> before anybody sees the live pictures if anybody missed the pope in congress this morning we quickly want to run through the highlights, i promise we will breakout if we see live pictures of the pope but the point is tony it was a very personal moment for people on capitol and someone nervous and right from the start. the protocol dictated that republican house speaker john boehner would be the fir

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st. patrick's. give us some idea who was lucky enough to get inside st. patrick's with the pontiff. >> reporter: well, it's a pretty spectacular sight here at st. patrick's cathedral and it has been since the pope arrived not too long ago. he came down fifth avenue after getting out of his motorcade and transferred to that open air popemobile. he slowly made his way down fifth avenue with thousands of people who had lined the streets to see him and then he arrived right here at st. patrick's. he first got out of the popemobile, was greeted by the mayor, governor and then the crowd erupted in cheer. we were wondering if he was going to interact with the folks outside. he didn't. he gave them a wave. they chanted and cheered and said francisco and he made his way inside those beautiful bronze doors inside st. patrick's cathedral behind me. >> don't worry about it. he will interact with those people. when he first got here, they want to keep him on schedule. he will be out there pressing the flesh and

st. patrick's cathedral. when he makes it to st. patrick's, he will say evening prayers called vespers in in the catholic religion. >> after the evening prayer pope francis will stay papal nuncio residence on the upper east side, that is basically the ambassador for the residence. he may say a couple of words. we have several reports from washington to here and in new york. we begin with lucy yang. she is at kennedy airport where the pope is set to arrive in about an hour. lucy, a lot of excitement. >> reporter: there is tremendous excitement building. we are on the tarmac at j.f.k. waiting for the pope to arrive. we have an amazing front row seat to the whole event that we will share with you. we have a great view of the pope arriving, the pontiff being greeted by 200 well wishers then getting on the helicopter for lower manhattan. this should last about 15 minutes or so. this first stop is not his official greeting. that will happen in manhattan. this is what is being planned for his arrival at j.f.k. airport. the high school band

st. patrick's cathedral.restoration as an invitation from jesus as he asked. your presence this happy evening renews all of us and provide as special blessing to all our work for this cathedral we so love and now we ask you holy father at the end of this vaster to bless this cathedral. thank you for stopping by. [speaking foreign language]. [ applause ] >> lord, bless this church which we have been privileged to build with your help. may all here in faith to listen to your word and celebrate your sackments, experience, the presence of christ who promise to be with these catholics name forever and ever. >> amen. >> bless be the name of the lord or help in the name of the lord. may all mighty, tfather and the son and the holy spirit. >> amen. >> go in peace. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> now the pope will be meeting briefly with the people who restored this cathedral, several years of a project and nearly $200 million. they worked day in, day out to make this cathedral beautiful again. you heard the cardinal make a joke

st. patrick's church. these are the steps that many people involved in today's events started on as they would to change their lives, to overcome huge struggles. poverty, having to be an immigrant, drug addiction, homelessness, it all started right here were the remarks were made. tough choices they had to make but much more simple for the people involved today. recently had to decide to shake the popes and ortega selfie. selfie.s hand or take a pope francis was greeted like a rock star. access was like a coveted access pass. >> i was like what, of course i would love to be there. reporter: two weeks ago he was in a construction class standing next to a cutout of hope francis. today he shut his hand -- today he shook his hand. like i was touching god's representative on earth. reporter: sharing the blessing he was given with strangers on the street. >> this is the hand that shook the pope. reporter: he treated them as equals. >> and hear his message. and what he stands for and what he believes in. it is ju

st. patrick's. the pope's first vent in new york city. ♪ ♪ perhaps perhaps. >>> let's look at live pictures now of pope francis at st. patrick's cathedral in new york city. the pope will lead an evening prayer service there and give remarks in spanish. we will continue to monitor the service and bring you complete coverage rear view the pope's historic visit in just a moment. >>> but first, taj is a struck on the one of the holiest days in is lament. over 700 people crushed to death in saudi arabia in a stampede during the annual hajj. hundreds more were injured. saudi arabia's king salman has promised a swift investigation in to one of the deadliest accidents during the hajj in two decades. omar al saleh reports now from mean a. >> reporter: a second tragedy within weeks, saudi authorities say a sudden surge among the huge crowd of pilgrims led to a deadly stampede. hundreds of people died, many more were injured. >> translator: we were coming back and on the way back i met my husband, the pilgrims

st. patrick's cathedral? >> hi, handly. >> check out this backdrop. this is st. patrick's cathedral in midtown manhattan and from the ground it looks like a fortress and we'll tell you why, and this is where the pope will have his only, vent. evening prayers and the vespers as they say in the catholic church. jfk, they're running 10 to 15 minutes behind and he was early to washington and we're hoping he can make up some of that time in the air and when he gets on the ground he'll have to go straight back in the air in one of the marine 1 helicopters there on the tarmac waiting to take him on a 40 to 45-minute tour of the island. he'll get to see this son of immigrants and the statue of liberty, and the 9/11 memorial and also the entire skyline. at the airport, we have hand waiting a jazz band from the brooklyn high school who performed for pope benedict when he came to new york and also on the ground, 200 invited homeless guests. of course, this pope, his passion is the poor, the homeless and helping those struggling in life. let's talk about security and that is

st. patrick's.holy sea press office and biblical scholar and cnn contributor bruce filer. father, i wonder what you made of this celebration tonight, vespers and comments made by this pope inside. >> beautiful ceremony of vespers and special guest this evening besides the workers outside the cathedral and lay people from the diocese are the religious priests and neighboring diocese. the beautiful celebration of vespers, this was not a mass. you see the holy father coming out. very touching moment during the homily when he recognized women in the united states and spoke about their charitable work, educational works and cathedral burst into applause i think three different times. these were very important words to be spoken at this moment in history, especially the new and developing relationship of women religious after years of great difficulty and perhaps misunderstanding, the other thing touching, unscripted at the beginning, i think i the got the words right when he recognized the terrible trage

st. patrick's as well. >> st. paul the vi, almost to the day 50 years ago was here. >> he came on some anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral. >> i think. >> so anyway, four popes and one future pope have been here to the cathedral. >> if you could be a fly on the wall in that car. i wonder what they're saying. i wonder if they're changing the plans. they could be discussing, okay, this is what we're going to do next. >> he's punching in the coordinates of the gps. find fdr drive. the driver is italian too. >> i think he's making plans to stop by my parish. >> he heard about your sacrifice, your ticket. >> exactly. >> he likes this sort of humility. he certainly is going to come to your parish. >> that would be wonderful. >> you're going to be traveling with him, aren't you? >> well, i don't know yet. i hope to. >> is there a chance you're going to be going to africa with the pope? >> yes. he's going the last week of november to kenya and several other places. i don't want to jinx it because i'm really h

st. patrick's behind us. we were talking, it's hard to imagine another leader being able to walk into that chamber, tackle suchish sures, you know, immigration, all the way to the death penalty, abortion, climate change, in front of such a polarized congress and yet he seems to do this all with a smile. >> reporter: he does, doesn't he? this is a pope who believes that the real value of religious faith isn't doctrine or worship, it's getting things done. he believes the gospels quire that. and he tries to enlist everyone he meets in that cause, including in the congress of the united states. >> terry moran has been traveling with the pope. we'll see you again tomorrow night, terry. we will have much more later here on this broadcast and tonight on "nightline" and "good morning america." >>> we move on tonight to the other news on this day and a developing headline out of seattle. a deadly collision, a highway shut down. authorities say a charter bus filled with students slamming into a duck boat filled with t

st. patricks and mayor de blasio and cuomo expected to be here and 500 on the steps of st. tricks cathedral and the ones in yellow vests behind me and played a critical role in the restoration of the project and a lot of them are construction workers and restored st. patricks cathedral which was a three year, $177 million project, a very ambitious project, that was not supposed to finish until december so they rushed the job to finish this three months early in time for the holly father's visit here now in just about an hour or two. >> yeah, yeah, i wonder and patrick let me come to you and jonathan stay there and don't go any where but patrick i know there is a bit of controversy around what is it the project, the finishing the project, the renovation so as jonathan told us $177 million st. patricks cathedral and you were talking about immigrants was built of a church of the immigrants in the middle of the 19th century. >> really. >> in the middle of the 19th century the catholic church was not well regarded in the u.s. and was seen as for foreigners and italian were coming

st. patrick's right now. snn all those cheers. >> can't help the juxtaposition, he's talked about poverty, father malone and to be coming up the avenue which stands for so much capitalism and everything that he's been, he's criticized, recently. >> yeah, and, you know, he's causing us to reflect on that [ singing ] and it's something we should be reflecting on, not something we should take for granted. >> walk us through, what's happening? and when that starts, the ceremony and service play off? >> so, this is, he is next to monsignor richie, the vector of st. patrick's cathedral, he's going to bless those, and just presented a crucifix to memorialize his visit to the cathedral. [ singing ] . [ applause ] >> they are in choir. >> there is a camera in, inside, we're not controlling this. >> so this is a little, it came up by the order, we're told, senators were admonished not to take selfies, not to fist pump. >> and he took several selfies today at the chath charities -- catholic charities in washington dc. >

st. patrick's. you hear bells toll for 4:00 eastern time right now, as pope francis walk up the stairs and into the plane that will carry him to new york city. it's an american airlines jet. they always use american, the carrier of the country that they're in. >> i think, too, he believes in symbolism as a part of leadership. so that small car that he first came in the popemobile, now the not very fancy plane, you embody the things you believe in the ways you present yourself to the public. that's another important quality. >> elizabeth, are you still with us on the phone, inside the plane? >> i am. >> tell me what you see. >> well, right now, trying to kch catch a glimpse of the aisle, when pope francis might board the plane. a curtain's closed. i can peek out the window. it's clear that everyone who is here has been appreciative of the pope's visit. yeah, i think we're all kind of waiting for that moment to get going and move on to -- he keeps pace with a jam-packed schedule. moved from one event

st. patrick's cathedral. >> a lot of preparation in place. we can say the area around st. patrick's cathedral, very, very secure. let's pan off so you get a sense of what we're talking about. since noontime today, the streets, over a 10 block span, 57th to 46th, has essentially been in lockdown. a lot of layers of enforcement. that side is closed. there's an eight foot fence surrounding the businesses. these people have been here in excess of seven, eight hours. they were precleared who have tickets. they went through security. they line the streets waiting for the holy father to come. this will be the first test of a tremendous security apparatus they've put in place. it involves over 6,000 additional police officers and counterterrorism units, not to mention the federal agencies involved as well. the secret service is in charge of everything. the department of homeland security has their own command center less than a block from where we stand. the spontaneity with this pope is inevitable. they're on their

st. patrick's cathedral. because there you can see mayor bill @< wde blasio talking with some of the people lucky enough to 0fzmost likely get up close and personal with the pope here in just a few minutes. also here schumer. cheering fans out here as well. ko and i'll have to say, the %qmood out here is just -- > confirm that's in fact the plane? >> beck see the vatican w flags and the american flag there flying once again 'jfrom [osthe cockpit. >> we know who's on board. >> absolutely. and -- just as we watched him deplane in %ywashington, d.c., people who were getting giddy because they fr&just couldn't wait to see him. [ laughter ] after they the door. and it is -- it's a wonderful wonderful experien' for so many catholics here in ne.4=i-city and those _ithat have traveled from far away just to witness pope francis. who v say such an impact just in the

st. patrick's. with all of this talk of corporation, the pope is a very important place in american catholicism, it is a symbol of immigrant america right tom? >> absolutely. it really is moving to see these events unfold. as a student of american history i remember back when al smith ran for president and he was accused of planning to build a tunnel from the white house to rome. and the pope appearing on the balcony of the white house, and then on the balcony of the congress, this was the fear of every member of the kkk, the know-nothings, the anti-immigrant people who were anticatholic in our history, it shows how much these poor immigrant catholics who were so discriminated against, have now become part of american society and accepted. and are flourishing. and that's one of the things that he pointed to. >> the choir of st. patrick's welcoming the pope as he comes through grand entrance of st. patrick's cathedral. >> paul vallale, the pope recently took on people who say he's a leftist a sociali

st. patrick's cathedral.greeted by new york governor andrew cuomo, bill de blasio and monsignor robert richie. big changes start tonight for anyone trying to get around philadelphia for the world meeting of families and the pope's upcoming visit. tonight at 10:00, several exits along the vine street spaex will close. the 23rd street exit, the ben exit will remain closed until monday morning. the secure vehicle perimeter starts tonight at 10:00. drivers won't be able to park their cars on the street even if you bought nose placards from the city that helped you escape getted towed. officials say all cars must be moved into city garages or out of the area. for anyone using public transit, the septa stations on your screen close tonight at 10:00, suburban station on the regional rail line, the fifth and 159 street stops on the market frankfurt line, city hall on the broad street line and the 15th street trolley stop. they will remain closed through the weekend and will reopen on monday. we just gave you a lot of

st. patrick's day we come down from college, i was at holy cross, you come down st. patrick's on st. patrick's day. the great cathedral of the great immigrant wave from the potato familiaren in the 1840s and '50s they built the church, the irish did, appoint arrival in new york they laid claim to new york as the immigrant group to dominate the city. the church is always there for people catholic, who come to new york as part of the new york weekend. they spend some time. you visit that church as much as you go to mass there. you go in, maybe light a candle, walk around, look at all of the alt altars. it's a dramatic thing. look at symmetry of these days. yesterday in st. matthews. the funeral site of john f. kennedy. today the funeral site of robert f. kennedy and the eulogy. for me, i try to stop in there when time in new york, right near 30 rock, and it is -- it's a great urban church. we go there, as a say to make a visit, not for mass requirements on sunday, to go there during work when you get a break, we call it a visit. it's how we stay in shape with our church. >> and also you

st. patrick's cathedral. janelle, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you mary, st. patrick's as you know is the pope's first official stop in new york. he'll be having a prayer service later this evening and yes, security is already very tight morning. then that -- this morning. then that chain link fence that stretches from here at 56th street to 47th in front of st. patrick's cathedral. this in preparation for the pope's arrival. commissioner bill bratton himself doing a security sweep of st. patrick's cathedral ahead of the pope's arrival. even inspecting the altar. >> we have very good at planning but we also have to be adaptable with this pope. his penchant for spontaneity. >> reporter: a full day before the pope gets here, visitors were being carefully screened. >> they're checking anyone that has a large pouch or a backpack. before they go into the church. >> reporter: homeland security now has the command center set up across from the cathedral where the pope will hold a prayer service

st. patrick's.nn's vatican correspondent, father thomas racica of the holy see and biblical scholar and cnn contributor, bruce filer. father rosika, wondering what you made of this celebration, these ves pers an the comments made by this pope inside? >> beautiful ceremony of ves pers. the religious priests and seminarians. a beautiful celebration. this was not a mass. a very touching moment during the homily when he recognized the wonderful work of women religious. spoke about their charitable works and their educational works and the cathedral burst into applause three different times. these were very important words to be spoken at this moment in history. specially the new and developing relationship of women religious. the other thing very touching n unscripted at the beginning of the liturgy. he recognized the terrible tragedy in mecca. several hundred muslims stampeded to death during the muslim pilgrimage. >> we'll talk about that throughout the next two hours of the program and bring you the

st. patrick's cathedral. this will be his very first stop in the big apple. he'll be part of the evening prayers at the cathedral. you can see the many people lining up. right now the road shut down. even if you look two blocks a y away, you see people gathering waiting for the pope to arrive. >> all right. here's another live look from jfk international airport where the crowd there is building in anticipation of pope francis. now, he was supposed to arrive at jfk at about 5:00. but that plane did not leave until 4:25 instead of 4:00. so we presume that he'll be arriving at about 5:25 tonight. now that anticipation and excitement is building out there. he's not planning to make any remarks as he touches down. but he will walk to a nearby chopper that you can't see in this screen shot. then he will make his way to downtown manhattan for a bit of a papal procession. the sheer excitement is building. though we can't see them, thousands right now are lining 5th avenue to catch a glimpse of pope francis. this is

st. patrick's cathedral. secret service agents and new york city police officers are on guard around the church's perimeter. 5 million people attend st. patrick's every year. it holds mass seven times a day. nbc 10's cydney long is live in new york today above st. patricks. >> a lot of gridlock in new york, i imagine, right? >> reporter: absolutely. we are feeling and seeing the excitement and the anticipation of pope francis' arrival here in the big apple. this moment in time, this hour, we're now down to the hour of when he will arrive in new york city. finally here. and to give you an idea where we're coming from. i'm looking at radio music city hall in this direction, but this is the spot here behind us, one city block right here, st. patrick's cathedral. one city block from the sixth floor here at 30 rock. it is a breathtaking view and it is a beautiful warm day and breezy here in new york. we saw people holding signs down on the street. jesus is here and repent. also dozens lighting candles and praying

st. patrick's cathedral. on the upper east side, a gentleman we just talked with minutes ago absolutely surprised by the amount of security already in place as he tried to deliver newspapers. i got to walk from park avenue all the way to building four. >> you didn't expect it to be closed like this? >> no, huh-uh. >> reporter: we want to show you a live look of the police officers who are already here. the thing is, a lot of people expected madison and 72nd street actually fifth avenue through park avenue closed off, off limits to the public. only police officials and members of the media are allowed here. back to you. >> so i guess that's a couple blocks away. we just heard that gentleman say he was moved around. are you seeing a little more of that at this hour, or is this area so big you haven't been able to see people diverted from your vantage point? >> reporter: we've seen some joggers. they're free to move around madison avenue. it's just no one can walk on 72nd street, or drive. some people have been

st. patrick's cathedral who got closer. take a look at this young lady. >> i touched his ring and he put his hands on my forehand and he blessed me and looked at me. >> reporter: what does that mean to you? >> it means he is going to give me a miracle. >> reporter: what miracle are you asking? >> to walk again. >> reporter: all in all, a very exciting day. a very exciting day in new york city. back to you. >> thank you. this day began in our nation's capital. he spoke to a large crowd gathered at st. patrick's catholic church in washington then blessed meals at a catholic charity event. he viewed the statue of father junipero serra, the priest he canonized yesterday. he emerged on the balcony of the west front of the capitol addressing tens of thousands below. he made history becoming the first pope to ever address a joint meeting of congress. powerful speech. which he asoenessentially challenged our leaders to live up to the values which this country was built. >> in his appearance before congress today, the pope delivered

st. patrick's cathedral. the pope's procession through central park on friday, a plans on giving away some of the tickets she received from relatives. >> i have 11 tickets, and i'm going to give them to anyone that i meet on the street. >> reporter: and where we are here, as in many spots across manhattan, one of the most secure places in the city, east 72nd street, as we mentioned, right by madison avenue. obviously closed off, but this whole area between park and 5th avenue is already closed off. you can expect road closures, as lauren has been mentioning, throughout the day. back to you. >> people are really going to see a change, at least for the next 48 hours. anks so much. >>> this morning there's a new study out that shows the ripple ,effect of the pope's visit on the traffic in manhattan. tracie strahan is at penn station with that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. it's hard to believe, but only minor disruptions are predicted, specifically on the subway, according to that report. there

st. patrick's. those prayer services last about half hour, but the security preparations started well before this morning. earlier this morning, we noticed bomb-sniffing dogs with officers scouring the area where the fence went up. all week long we've been talking about potholes being filled and manholes being sealed all in the name of safety. back to the fence, the steel fence we showed you yesterday around central park was specially made for the papal it stretches 25,000 feet along fifth avenue avenues. the steel mesh makes it unclimbable and it's secured with concrete and steel where it cannot be toppled over. >> we had to create a panel that was secure enough that nobody can get through and also keep -- even though he's a people person, they also want to keep him safe. >> reporter: the fence will quickly be brought down around 9:00 tonight, well after the pope is away from this area here. then it will be moved to another undisclosed location, possibly even philadelphia. the pope's next stop in j

st. patrick's cathedral. >> welcome to st. patrick's cathedral. >> reporter: he was welcomed by governor cuomo, senator schumer, and mayor de blasio. the spectacle on 5th avenue was something we have never seen before with the sea of people and the sea of cell phones. the vatican flag will be raised for the first time outside of the united nations headquarters this morning ahead of his address to the general assembly. world leaders including president obama will adopt a series of goals to be achieved by 2030, including ending poverty and combating climate change. >> reporter: on thursday he spoke forcefully on those issues and about immigration. >> we must not be taken back by the numbers but rather by the persons. >> reporter: here is the pope's schedule for today. he will be at the united nations general assembly to begin the morning, and then he will head to the 9/11 memorial & museum. a poignant moment, and then a break for lunch. after that he will go to our lady queen of angels school. he will go to his procession through

st. patrick's cathedral. they finished early just in time for the pope's visit. >> by the wacom of the term miracle was thrown around too casually these days, but i was at st. patrick's about a month and a half ago and all the scaffolding was still up, people were still scraping the decades of dust off of the statues. i never thought they would make it in time. lo and behold they pulled down everything, the curtains come the scaffolding. the place is brand-new. even if you missed the pope frankly you probably missed her chance to do it. you've got to come to new york. they have done an amazing job and it was miraculously manage to pull it off on time. reporter: you are right. i heard they were told to finish in time for the pope or never worked for the archdiocese again. >> pose a threat that was given. lauren, will keep coming back to you. cheryl: thank you. i've never seen new york like this. i lived there for 11 years. there is a group of skilled children before i came to the studio. their faces lit up. so

st. patrick's cathedral. george, the vespers service, a kind of amazing moment there when the holy father thanked the women of the church and the church erupted into applause. >> pope francis is very aware that religious women have been an enormous factor in the life of the catholic church since elizabeth ann seton, whom he cited at the very beginning of his remarks tonight. this really beautiful service i think caps a day that has called everyone to think again. i said earlier to brian williams, 31 years in washington, i haven't heard anyone speak as eloquently about politics as a vocation, not just a career, and a vocation capable of nobility the way pope francis did today. and we have to hope that that has, you know, a healing effect in our politics. i think it's important to recognize that this is a man who's not reluctant to make judgments. we sometimes say he's not judgmental. well, he's making lots of judgments. he made judgments about religious freedom in washington by visiting the little sisters of t

st. patrick's cathedral. let's go to st. patrick's cathedral where the pope is headed.g to be joined there by the governor, mr. cuomo. wlook who's here erin burnett freshly back from maternity leave. you look great. set the scene from your vantage point. >> jake, it's a great day to be back. it's a gorgeous day and my baby girl will be baptized catholic. like many catholics i've become warmer toward the church because of this pope. you're feeling that here on the streets. obviously this church right now, st. patrick's cathedral, jake, is gleaming white. i haven't seen it like that in years. and behind me you can see some of the people who actually worked on all of the renovations, almost $200 million of renovations. they just finished them. i was here a couple months ago. it was not ready at all and they're going to be here to greet the pope which softball ve -- is obviously very special. he's going to be delivering an evening prayer service. not a full mass but about 3,500 members of the clergy so nuns, bishops, priests, deacons, that's who will hear the pope speak ton

st. patrick's cathedral, and this one from alfonso, showing the pope at the altar at st. patrick's cathedral. everybody, including us, no doubt. >> we were fortunate enough to have a front row seat for the pope's arrival at st. patrick's, and here is our reaction. [ laughter ] >> easy to get swept up in t right? >> absolutely! >> it's not just because -- >> there you are, getting it on your phone. >> yes! [ laughter ] i mean, look, it's the pope this is my third one, but it's about the messaging and what this man is standing for, his emphasis on the different issues like humility, the core, and there he was, right in front of us, just a moment to behold and try to capture. >> the lighting was just so where the sun had set, and it was starting to get darker, and there was a light right over him in that popemobile. it was like he was almost heavenly coming down. it was quite a sight to see. >> a natural halo effect. >> as you can see we couldn't hold back our emotions there. it was pretty exciting. >>> the pope is sleeping now. he does need rest. he has a busy day tomorrow,

st. patrick's church. g street and 9th street between h and f. b.w. parkway, 95 and 29, everything roll aing along. same thing with prince george's county. we have a silver line to talk. silver lines only. back in ten minutes. >> breaking news in montgomery county. we learn a man died in a motorcycle crash last night. we also found out his name. javier inegas from springfield, virginia, crashed on the inner loop to the clara barton parkway. they say virginia state police officers were chasing the bike when they lost sight of it. inegas was thro s crashed and w from the bike. >>> thanks, kristin. it is now 5:24. developing in texas, an investigationing into a deadly police shooting. police say officers were trying to arrest a man when he pulled out a gun and started shooting. the officer shot back and killed him. no one else was hurt. >>> hundreds of police officers showed theiru/&gñ respects for a kentucky state trooper killed in the line of duty. law enforcement from all over the state joined to support trooper cameron ponder's family last night. he

st. patrick's in midtown. >> reporter: there is a massive amount of security around st. patrick's cathedral, fifth avenue and 58th street. you can see a phone of traffic out here and that is because fifth avenue is shut down at 56th street, causing a lot of frustration here but we have seen a lot of people out here camped out already with their cell phones, taking pictures in front of the cathedral where the countdown is on for the pope's arrival. >> i think new york is thrilled to have the homely father coming. >> reporter: the excitement is evidence along fifth avenue. new yorkers capturing each moment leading up to the pope's arrival at st. patrick's cathedral. >> it is pretty extrao iny. >> i think we need the healing. i think we need tle words. i think we need the love. 'cause right now, we are broken. >> reporter: secur toy es tighrer than ever. fifth avenue shut down at 10 this morning from 47th to 56th streets. secret service, police k-9s and nypd officers on grd and this eight-foot fence installed along fifth avenue, a safety measure turned the iconic street into

st. patrick's. you saw sade, n.j., jim dolan, kemberly richardson is there. >> we have stacey sager who has gotten inside the viewing area. she managed to get a ticket, not the golden ticket but one of those tickets, so, she is inside the parade route. >> let me track it out for you we will stay on the pope. we will see the parade, the little parade, mini parade to saint patrick's and we will course we will bring vespers starting at 6:45. you gave a good explanation for those of you joining us as we begin the "eyewitness news at 6:00" period. what did you call it. >> vesper means evening in latin. it is an evening prayer service that typically arrives with sundown. it's a smaller evening service. not a full mass, not commune january. >> we are looking for a man in a white robe and white outfit. we zoom cardinal dolan is among those in the red. we don't know which helicopter he was on. father, any ideas. >> he is probably with cardinal dolan, i would imagine. >> okay. okay.

st. patrick's cathedral, a historic event. led the vespers service in st. patrick's cathedral. >> father we appreciate you taking the time out to be here and not in there. now that it's over, having watched it from this perspective, do you feel as though you were touched, even though you weren't inside? >> i do, i do. it was so beautiful just to be re withll the people. francis keeps saying i want to be close to people. and the excitement, the worker, all the people out here all around us, it's just -- i feel a part of it still. >> let's go to michael gargiulo right now. what is the reaction there, michlil? an >> chuck, it's so moving because we hear the music coming from inside the church. and you hear it coming out of the cathedral here. very, very moving. and i think it is certainly so for all the people who have gathered h e. the construction workers, the high school students who stood outside during the vespers service. inside, and you could really feel them being moved by the words the holy father. and of cardinal dolan's welcome in the end. he said pa

st. patrick's cathedral. dignitaries assembled waiting just hours earlier for the pope as a choir sings at the conclusion of this service. we will watch as the pope then proceeds up to the papal residence in the upper east side in manhattan. let's take a listen to the choir. ♪ ♪ with me here, "esquire" political columnist charlie pierce, who has been covering the day's events, has been following the pope around. charlie, i thought the pope's decision to begin just with that small note of ecumenical grace -- >> yeah. >> -- just embodies what i think people find so welcoming about him. >> this, as i said when i was putting together my thoughts on the speech today, i listened to that speech in congress. there wasn't a single accidental word in it. every word was very, very intelligently and shrewdly chosen. and i thought, you know, this is -- this is a guy of great strategic ambiguity. one might almost say jesuitical, but i was afraid my uncle might come back from the dead, hit me over the head. but i thought it

st. patrick's cathedral. the focus is on new york city and that is where we join "action news" reporter, sara bloomquist. sara st. patrick's cathedral and the unites nations tomorrow, an itinerary bee fitting a pope. >> that is right jim, a packed itinerary, one that requires unprecedented security measures here in manhattan. the pope is on his way to saint patrick cathedral. he will take part in an open motorcade. earlier today we made our way around and got a taste of what is to come for philadelphia in terms of heavy security presence. sanitation trucks blocked streets and miles of concrete barriers are in place and manhole covers are sealed and multiple agencies are monitoring activities all part of the largest security operation in new york city. >> all the streets are blocked off and security is at its highest pretty much. >> not only is the pope in town, this is the 70 and anniversary of the u.n. general assembly that the pope will address tomorrow. heads of state from 270 countries are expected to att

st. patrick's. but, certainly, the pope is shaking a lot of hands and taking his time wherever he goes, jon. jon: and people, obviously, are lighting up at this moment. not that often that the pope comes to visit america, and this particular pope, well, this is his first visit. jenna: i want to point out to you at the bottom right of your screen, you see a man just to the side of the pope. he doesn't -- he has a bald head, a very distinguished-looking gentleman. we heard yesterday who that is, that's the head of the vatican police, do min coe i-januaryny, and you're going to see him wherever you see the pope because immediately surrounding the pope are the vatican police, his particular security force. we know that secret service took the lead, they had this lead on the national security event like this one. so secret service is the one that's responsible really for setting up everything and coordinating everything, but working with a wide variety of different agencies including the fbi and local po

st. patrick's cathedral. steve: thousands got a glimpse of the pontiff. dari: the service got underway around 7:00 this evening. pope stopping on his way to linda schmidt has been at st. pat's all day long, she is here with more, did you get a good look at him. >> reporter: i could not have had a better seat if i was inside, i have to tell you, from a personal point of view, this could not have been any better, this was an experience like no other. seeing the holy father come and the pope mobile in fifth avenue in front of st. patrick's cathedral, we were 25 feet at most away, once he was inside, cardinal dolan said something simple everybody he said to pope francis issue he said, when you walk through the doors on fifth avenue, you officially became a new yorker, and everyone started laughing, he does have a good sense of humor, so does pope francis. go ahead look at the video from inside. people, it of the nun and deacons, retired clergy priests and lay people, the pope talked about topics that we're familiar with from him, service to the church, and hel

st. patrick's cathedral in a motorcade. is expected to transfer into the popemobile a few blocks north of st.'s and slowly make the trip south down fifth avenue greeting onlookers as he goes. once he arrives at the cathedral, the mayor, the governor and the rector of the cathedral will degrade him. i spoke to monsignor richie about what that greeting will be like. >> i will be a little nervous. i speak spanish and intend to talk to him in spanish as he comes up the steps. >> the pope will enter st.'s and preside over prayer service machine expected to pray and deliver remarks in spanish. pope francis will see a beautiful restored st.'s, the archdiocese then $175 million to fix and beautify the cathedral. once the evening prayer service concludes the holy father retires to the papal residence on the upper east side, another busy day awaits. >> another live look south on fifth avenue, that a foot tall fence, those who are lucky enough to be on this side of the offense will have to be screened and have an up close view of pope