Xaverian Jazz Band to play for Pope Francis
When Pope Francis arrives at John F. Kennedy Airport on Thursday for his first-ever trip to New York City, he will get a taste of Bay Ridge-style hospitality.
And he will be greeted by the sounds of jazz.
Students from Xaverian High School, a Catholic high school for boys in Bay Ridge, have been chosen to perform for the Pontiff during a ceremony marking his arrival at JFK on Sept. 24. The school’s jazz band will have the honor of being the only band performing for the Pope at the airport.
In another Bay Ridge touch, Arlene Figaro, principal of Visitation Academy, a Catholic school for girls, will also be at the airport that day. Figaro will be one of the people officially greeting Pope Francis and welcoming him to the city. “It’s quite an honor. I can’t wait!” Figaro told the Brooklyn Eagle on Monday.