As many await Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia on Saturday, local parish priests hope the excitement will inspire people to increase their spiritual lives and return to church.

"He's such an impressive pope," said the Rev. William Campion, priest at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Palmerton.Campion has heard from Catholics and non-Catholics alike about how impressed they are by Pope Francis."He speaks the truth," said the Rev. Michael Ahrensfield, priest at SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Lehighton. "He truly knows the Lord. He can't help but to be open to people."Ahrensfield said Pope Francis' ability to speak plainly helps him to connect with a wide audience. He's compassionate to the poor and embraces living a simple life, which is impressive to many people.Even at that, Ahrensfield is not sure the pope's message will improve church attendance."I would hope it would, but it's hard to say," Ahrensfield said."People's values today aren't always on the Gospel level."Like many priests, Ahrensfield has seen how overly busy lives, not to mention the usual distractions like the pursuit of fame, fortune and temptations of the world, are affecting their spiritual lives."Hopefully, the pope's visit will encourage more people to make God a priority in their lives, rather than the busyness of the world," said Ahrensfield. "The pope is a messenger of God. Hopefully people will not only hear it, but will live it."Even simple things like children's sports games are now interfering with people being able to attend Mass on Sunday.It makes no sense to him that people schedule games during church services, but fortunately the Catholic Youth Organization refuses to hold a game before 1 p.m."Religion has taken a back seat," Ahrensfield said.The World Meeting of Families is the primary reason for the pope's visit, Campion stressed. The meeting began on Tuesday with conferences throughout the week and the Festival of Families on Saturday. The event will culminate with the Papal Mass at 4 p.m. Sunday.One of Ahrensfield's parishioners is part of the security detail during the conference and the Papal Mass.He couldn't give any details about the officer, but said he was chosen for the assignment because the event is in the district his division covers."He's really overjoyed that he has the opportunity to protect the Holy Father," Ahrensfield said.Tickets to the Papal Mass were scooped up within a couple of minutes. But Ahrensfield said we shouldn't feel forgotten in our region.The Allentown Diocese is partnering with ArtsQuest and Alvernia University to host a Papal Mass Celebration on Sunday at SteelStacks in south side Bethlehem. The event will begin with Mass at noon on the Levitt Pavilion stage, followed by family fun activities, food and entertainment. The Papal Mass will be streamed live at 4 p.m."We're still a part of the papal visit even though we're not in Philly," Ahrensfield said.