Organizers of the papal visit to Philadelphia, which is set to take place Sept. 26-27, have started manufacturing and preparing souvenirs that will go on sale later this month. About 200 items will be available—including shirts, keychains, plush dolls, rosaries, scarves and mugs—and will cost between $5 to $500, according to Philly Voice.
Aside from Pope Francis' image, the merchandise will also bear the logo of the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) 2015, which is one of the reasons for the pontiff's visit to the Pennsylvania. The event, which puts focus on strengthening relationships among families, will involve an outdoor mass at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway officiated by the pope, where more than 3 million devotees are expected to attend, according to the Washington Post.
"I'm looking forward to soon making my first purchase," said Philadelphia's mayor, Michael Nutter. "I can assure you, it will be for my mother," the mayor added. He happens to be an alumnus of a Catholic school, according to the Washington Post.
Philly-based business Aramark is the official distributor of the papal memorabilia, according to a press release by WMOF. While the items will be available online first, the souvenirs will be sold at retail stores as well.
"I have every confidence people are going to be just thrilled with this very extensive product portfolio that Aramark is curating," said the director of WMOF, Donna Farrell, to reporters.
Proceeds of the sales of the items will be donated to the WMOF as well as different churches in the Philadelphia area, The Culture Project and the Catholic Charities Appeal, according to Philly Voice.
Pope Francis will be in the United States Sept. 22-27, and is expected to be meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House and United Nations leaders in New York City.
