Barbara and Guy Roy of St. David hope to be on a bus from Aroostook County to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia. “It’s an opportunity to strengthen my faith,” he said, amid a fight with cancer.

George Dionne of Grand Isle, a bus trip organizer, says, “This pope is a breath of fresh air for the Catholic Church.”

Barbara and Guy Roy visit Mizpah, a Catholic retreat in Grand Isle, as he battles cancer. They plan to join about 50 other Catholics on a bus trip to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia next Sunday. Her husband’s health is first on Barbara Roy’s list of “favors” she’ll be seeking while in the pope’s presence.

Ryan Fecteau, 23, of Biddeford is the youngest openly gay state representative in the U.S. He said he’s excited to see Pope Francis in Washington on Wednesday and gives the pope credit for making him feel more welcome in the church. “I’ll be like a teenager at a Taylor Swift concert,” he said.

Monica Cote will travel to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis celebrate Mass next Sunday. Cote is a nurse who left her job to care for her twin 8-month-old granddaughters, Eva, left, and Marie.