The pope is coming to East Harlem

A family walks along 112th Street near Our Lady Queen of Angels School, which will host Pope Francis on Sept. 25. East Harlem is a predominantly Latino and black neighborhood and an appropriate setting for a pontiff who has spoken movingly about poverty and immigration.

Duarte and Lili Garcia look at a Pope Francis calendar at Vianel Beauty Salon. “It is emotional for me,” Garcia, who helps run the salon, says of the papal visit to the neighborhood.

Our Lady Queen of Angels has 290 pupils, from prekindergarten to eighth grade, most of whom come from families whose incomes qualify them for financial aid.

Our Lady Queen of Angels is one of six Catholic elementary schools in Harlem and the South Bronx managed under an agreement with the New York Archdiocese. New York has lost more than 50 Catholic schools since 2011 because of demographic shifts, competition from charter schools, and other factors.

A man looks for cans and bottles to be recycled on 112th Street. “It’s a big blessing to have the pope,” Garcia of Vianel Beauty Salon says. “We know we’re going to have a lot of change. We can feel it.”