In downtown Philadelphia, barriers and deserted streets ahead of Pope Francis

Amid misty waterfalls and art museums along the parkway where Pope Francis will hold a public Mass in Philadelphia Sunday, makeshift abodes belonging to some of the city’s homeless are coming down.

Mauro Avila, of Uvalde, Texas, sits with a cross outside a security checkpoint set up in preparation of Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia, Friday, September 25, 2015.

“With this papal visit, I’ve got nowhere to stay”, said Joe Flatley, 52, a former corporate sales manager with an alcohol addiction who sometimes sleeps in the parkway.

When the Eastern PA Weather Authority on Tuesday morning considered rain for Pope Francis’ 4 p.m. Sunday Mass in Philadelphia, meteorologist Bobby Martrich said he was very much on the fence about the forecast.

Tomorrow, about 150 “youth pilgrims” will leave Erie and Meadville to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia, as well.

“It stays out to sea”, Matrich said.

If your auto is towed, you will be subject to a $76 fine, $175 in towing fees, and storage fees and your vehicle will be taken to one of three storage lots around the city.

As part of the security plan, large swaths of downtown Philadelphia have been designated secure zones that will have varying levels of restrictions for traffic and pedestrians.

Official security sweeps will begin on Thursday and items belonging to the homeless left inside the zone will be thrown away, according to a “Homeless Survival Guide” being passed out. What about abortion? But one area where the impact of the Pope’s six-day tour is all but certain to be felt is on the pocketbooks of federal, state and local governments. The NYPD says they have more than 6,000 officers covering the pope and the UN. Then at 4:45 p.m. Saturday, he will give a speech on religious freedom and immigration at Independence National Historical Park in Center City followed by an evening appearance at the Festival of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Outreach workers will monitor security sweeps of encampments to ensure fair treatment. He said they have to be ready for his spontaneity.

“We don’t usually do home deliveries, but we made an exception”, brewery co-owner Bill Barton said.

Davis also said he was humbled by his selection to present gifts to the Pope.