Dear Colleague:

In late January, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, will come to St. Louis for a pastoral visit. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the services, and many more will line the streets of the city to see the Holy Father. The pope's visit to the United States is his fourth in the 21 years of his papacy, and his first to St. Louis.

Saint Louis University will be a focal point supporting the Jan. 27 Mass. More than 4,000 participants in the liturgy will assemble at the Frost campus and be transported by bus to the Trans World Dome. To serve this important role supporting the pope's visit, the Frost campus will close on Wednesday, Jan. 27, and our Frost campus facilities will be made available to the Archdiocese for parking and assembly purposes.

Our participation will require a number of responses on the part of students, faculty and staff. Because papal visit activities will require most of the Frost campus facilities and all of its parking, the following actions will be necessary:

CANCELLATION OF CLASSES

• There will be no day classes at the Frost campus on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Evening classes (those beginning at 5 p.m. or later) will be held as usual.
• Classes at the School of Medicine and all clinical classes for the health professions schools and centers will be held as usual on Jan. 27.

  CLOSING OF FACILITIES

• All Frost campus classroom and office buildings, Pius Library, the Law Library and campus recreational facilities will be locked on Jan. 27. Absolutely no one, except designated essential personnel, will be admitted to these buildings -- no exceptions. This is due in part to security considerations, as well as the large crowds expected along the Lindell Boulevard papal motorcade route.
• The Simon Recreation Center, West Pine Gym and Busch Memorial Center will be fully utilized by the papal visit activities and will not be available to the University community on Jan. 27.

  FACULTY AND STAFF

• All Health Sciences Center faculty and staff are expected to report to work as usual on Jan. 27 except for public health faculty and staff because the school is located on the Frost campus.
• All Frost campus faculty and staff should not report to work on Jan. 27.
• Frost campus staff who are essential to assist with the event will be notified by their supervisors. Payment of salary for all personnel will occur consistent with the University Policy on Emergency Closing (3.2.2).

  RESIDENT STUDENTS

• Entry and exit from the University residence halls, Marchetti Towers and the Student Village will be restricted to residents and residence life staff only throughout the pope's visit (Jan. 26-28).
• Students who live in the St. Louis area may wish to leave the campus for the day because moving about will be restricted by security considerations, as well as the large crowds expected along the motorcade route.

  PARKING

• All parking cards for the Frost campus garages and surface parking lots will be invalid from 10 p.m. Jan. 26 through 5 p.m. Jan. 27. Both Frost garages and most surface lots have been committed to the Archdiocese for participant parking.
• Resident students who park in either the Laclede or Compton garages, or on any surface lot designated for use by the Archdiocese, will be required to move their vehicles to specific alternate locations that will be identified in later informational releases.
• All vehicles without credentials for the papal visit remaining in the Frost campus garages or surface parking lots after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26 will be towed -- no exceptions.
• Employees who plan to watch the motorcade on Lindell Boulevard in the University area must park elsewhere -- no University parking can be retained for that purpose.

Essential personnel will receive additional information concerning their role in the event directly from their supervisors. Resident students will receive information directly from student development.

Although some of these actions will cause inconvenience, I believe that all members of the University community will recognize their importance and necessity as Saint Louis University supports the Archdiocese and the City of St. Louis as together we welcome His Holiness, Pope John Paul II.

Larry Biondi, SJ
President

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