Mass

Even as hundreds of thousands of people thronged the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sunday for Mass with Pope Francis, his weekend visit to Philadelphia apparently failed to deliver the economic boon predicted by organizers.

Some businesses closed early, some downtown hotel rooms went unfilled and normally bustling city streets were deserted over the weekend as residents either stayed home or left town, and pilgrims kept their wallets in their pockets.

The Pope closed out his six-day tour with a message of hope for families, consolation for victims of child sexual abuse and a warning to America's bishops.

Organizers had predicted a crowd of 1 million for Francis' open-air Mass, and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway overflowed with the jubilant. They endured hours-long lines and airport-style security checks to see history's first pope from the Americas celebrate the faith in the birthplace of the United States.

The pope asked the Virgin to give Cubans "what they most desire and most need."

Two children gave him a copy of a century-old letter from islanders to Pope Benedict XV asking him to declare the Virgin the patroness of Cuba.

He now travels to the Cathedral of Santiago to bless families.