Family traveling for months in their Volkswagen to see Pope Francis

yinka ogunlami

August 26, 2015 11:06 AM

In spite of occasional car troubles, torrential rains and sometimes not having a place to sleep, the couple said strangers repeatedly have opened their doors to them.

In view of the pontiff's visit to the United states, a family of 6 from Argentina has embarked on a journey to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis.

Catire Walker, 41, and his wife, Noel Zemborain, and their four children started their journey from Buenos Aires, Argentina in march 2015.

"The essence of this is to make a family trip and, well, the festival gives a deeper purpose and a goal, but it's a family trip," said the 39-year-old mother, who works in communications and marketing.

"As a Catholic, I like to meet people in whom faith is something living, like a motor," said Martinez, who teaches Italian at the Michelangelo Academy and is a philosophy professor at the Popular Autonomous University of Puebla state. "When I saw the blog I thought it would be an enormous treasure to meet them. If I can provide a grain of sand to help them along the way, even better."

After passing through South America and Central America, they are currently in Mexico.

"In spite of occasional car troubles, torrential rains and sometimes not having a place to sleep, strangers repeatedly have opened their doors to us." the couple said.

"Our trip is a lot like a trip of discovery," she told The Associated Press by phone from Mexico. "We're staying in families' homes, we're meeting people in the different places we pass through, sharing with them and the Festival of Families has a bit of the same spirit."

They are said to be leaving Mexico on Saturday, August 29, 2015 for Philadelphia to see the pontiff in September.

Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 22. He'll visit New York before spending two days in Philadelphia.

yinka ogunlami