Readers might go to papal liturgy

When Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States in April, one of his stops will be at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and several hundred people from the Albany Diocese will have a chance to be present for his April 20 Mass.

Thanks to the generosity of the Archdiocese of New York, which is hosting the Pope, tickets have been given to the Albany Diocese for distribution to those who want to take part in this special occasion.

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard has asked The Evangelist to oversee the distribution of tickets to the liturgy on April 20 in Yankee Stadium (tentatively scheduled for mid-afternoon).

To ensure that everyone in the 14 counties of the Diocese has an equal chance, The Evangelist will hold a random drawing for tickets. Up to two tickets will be given to each winner of the drawing, which will be held the week of Jan. 14.

To enter the drawing, entrants must meet these qualifications:

1. They must accurately and completely follow all steps and rules outlined on the entry form, which appears on page 3 of the print issue.

That means including not only name, address and phone number but also dates of birth for both the entrant and his or her guest.

Those who win tickets as well as their guests must be at least 18 years of age as of Jan. 1, 2008. Photo IDs will be required before departure in April.

This is the only time the entry form will appear. Non-subscribers can obtain copies of the newspaper from friends who do subscribe or from their parishes, which are receiving additional copies of this week's issue. Entries using photo-copies and other facsimiles of the form on page 3 will be disqualified.

2. Entries must be postmarked no later than Jan. 9. Entries with later postmarks and incomplete information will be disqualified. Entries can also be hand-delivered to our offices as long as they are received by 3 p.m. on Jan. 11.

Those who win tickets will be notified before the end of January via the stamped, self-addressed envelope they supply with their entry form.

To attend the Mass, winners will be required to provide photo IDs and to pass background checks by the Secret Service and/or other agencies designated by the Archdiocese of New York.

Because of that requirement, tickets to the Mass are non-transferable; those who win the tickets and their guests must attend or forfeit their tickets.

While the tickets to the Mass are free, there will be costs associated with bus transportation (for security reasons, all ticket-holders must travel by the buses arranged by the Albany Diocese) and other fees (such as a program to the event).

Those costs have not yet been determined by the Archdiocese of New York.

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