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Pope Francis to visit homeless centre during Ireland visit
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Pope Francis to visit homeless centre during Ireland visit

POPE FRANCIS will visit a well-known homeless centre in Dublin during his visit to Ireland this summer.

The pontiff will visit the Capuchin Day Centre on Arran Quay, where volunteers have providing meals and support for people in need for the last 40 years.

He will be in Dublin on August 25 and 26 for the World Meeting of Families.

He is also scheduled to give mass at Phoenix Park as well as reportedly touring the streets of the city centre in his Popemobile.

Brother Kevin Crowley, founder and CEO of the Capuchin Day Centre, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about the news.

He said: “I’m so delighted, and I think it’s absolutely fantastic, that none other than Pope Francis himself is arriving to Capuchin Day Centre.

“I think that’s a huge, huge honour for the people in need, and for the homeless people.”

He added: “Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is really responsible for that, and I’m so thankful to Diarmuid Martin to arrange for the Pope to be coming…I think it’s fabulous that he’s giving such precious time to the homeless people.

"I’m not surprised by that, because everywhere he went because he made a special effort to be involved with the poor. He’s a man of great concern for the underprivileged.”

The Pope will kick off his visit by flying in to the West of Ireland on August 25th, where he will visit the Knock shrine in County Mayo.

The pontiff's visit to Ireland will mark the first papal visit to Ireland since 1979.