In 2015, Pope Francis made a historic visit to Philadelphia.
Upon that visit, the director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Lee Arnold, made sure to find and collect as much memorabilia as possible to document that visit, writes Peter Crimmins for WHYY.
The souvenirs collected include 3D photos of the Pope, “I [heart] the Pope” sunglasses, a book of paper dolls highlighting milestones of the Pope’s life, cards, jewelry, magazines, newspapers, posters, and more.
“Everybody wanted a token to remember this visit, whether they were Catholic or not,” said Selena Austin, programs coordinator at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. “This was a massive deal that he came to our city.”
Those tchotchkes, plus a life-size cutout figure of Pope Francis are available for visitors to witness.
They are not only public view; however, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania keeps them archived until requested.
Austin noted that no one has made a request in the decade since Pope Francis’ visit, as it remains relatively fresh in people’s memory.
However, with his recent passing, it’s probable that more will start making requests.
Read more about how the Historic Society of Pennsylvania is keeping Pope Francis’ visit and memory alive at WHYY.
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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on MONTCO Today in April 2025.
