Pope Francis to celebrate the first World Day of the Poor

VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis will celebrate a special Mass with the poor and people who assist them Nov. 19, the first World Day of the Poor.

After the 2015-16 Year of Mercy, the pope established the day to encourage new initiatives fostering encounter, friendship, solidarity and concrete assistance to the poor. Pope Francis is scheduled to offer a luncheon to 500 people attending the Mass, and the Vatican said it hoped parishes would do something similar.

In the Diocese of Charleston, S.C., Msgr. Richard Harris, vicar general, said parishes are encouraged to recognize the day. One of the suggestions is to take up a collection of canned goods and donate them to a local outreach.

The World Day of the Poor celebration is just one item on a list of papal liturgies for November through January. Other items on the list published Oct. 24 include:

* Nov. 2, feast of All Souls, afternoon Mass at the American military cemetery in Nettuno, south of Rome.

* Nov. 3, annual memorial Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for cardinals and bishops who died in the past year.

* Nov. 19, World Day of the Poor, Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

* Nov. 26-Dec. 2, papal visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh.

* Dec. 8, feast of the Immaculate Conception, prayer at the foot of a Marian statue near Rome’s Spanish Steps.

* Dec. 12, feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, evening Mass for Latin America in St. Peter’s Basilica.

* Dec. 24, Christmas Mass at 9:30 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.

* Dec. 25, Christmas blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) at noon from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

* Dec. 31, evening prayer and “Te Deum” in St. Peter’s Basilica in thanksgiving for the year past.

* Jan. 1, Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the feast of Mary, mother of God, and World Peace Day.

* Jan. 6, feast of the Epiphany, Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

* Jan. 7, feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Mass in the Sistine Chapel with the baptism of several infants.

* Jan. 15-22, papal trip to Chile and Peru.

By Catholic News Service

The Catholic Miscellany, Diocese of Charleston, S.C., contributed to this report.

CNS/Reuters: People receive food rations in 2014 at a community soup kitchen in a Buenos Aires, Argentina. World Day of the Poor, to be celebrated Nov. 19 this year, will focus on the Apostle John’s call to love “not with words, but with deeds.”