Montco couple, married 50 years, among those to greet Francis

Kathleen and John McCarthy don't agree on everything.

After 52 years of marriage and 61 years of knowing each other, the Conshohocken couple have had plenty to quibble over. How to raise four kids. Where to spend money. Even as the 2016 election approaches, neither will acquiesce to the other's political views.

But when Kathleen, 74, spent weeks in and out of three hospitals this summer, 76-year-old John was by her side. When problems ever arose for John, Kathleen - the self-described "loud, take-charge" one - was there supporting him.

And when money was tight in their early years, John worked long nights and two jobs to make sure they had enough.

The last five decades were tough at times, both acknowledge, but "it was what we were meant to do," Kathleen said. "Marriage was a good thing for us."

On Saturday, that commitment and resolve will be on display in front of perhaps the world's most prominent advocate of faithful and devoted marriages, Pope Francis.

And as the Catholic leader makes his initial Philadelphia appearance that morning at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, Kathleen and John McCarthy will be among the first to greet him.

The McCarthys are one of only a few couples from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who were selected to greet Francis on Saturday morning. He will lead a Mass in the basilica for about 2,000 local religious leaders and those with invitations.

Each couple was chosen for their commitment to the church and dedication to marriage, one of seven sacraments according to the Catholic faith. The McCarthys were selected for their 50-year milestone; the other couples will acknowledge marks such as 25 years and 75 years of marriage.

"The McCarthys have been a shining example of a couple who can navigate the positive and negative aspects of living life," said the Rev. J. Thomas Heron of St. Matthew Church in Conshohocken, where Kathleen and John have been members since childhood. "We need their kind of commitment and that kind of permanency as an example to counter today's world of, 'Well, if it doesn't work out, no big deal.' "

When Kathleen and John received a call from Heron last week asking if they would be interested in greeting Francis, they said they never imagined they would be two of only a few parishioners welcoming him to Philadelphia.

"I thought we would be standing in the back, poking my head above a group," Kathleen said, laughing. "Now all of a sudden I'm thinking, 'What am I even going to wear?' "

Kathleen is loud and outspoken, talking quickly and excitedly about everything from their nine grandchildren to her career as a nurse. She jumps from subject to subject, reminiscing about the couple's first date, when she was 15, to the time they put a down payment on a kitchen table and chairs before they were even engaged.

John is quiet and patient. He thinks before he speaks, interjecting only occasionally with quips and jabs at Kathleen when she pauses.

"It's seemed to work out fine right now," he jokes as he talks about their marriage. "I'm not going to do it again, though."

The couple, both actively involved at St. Matthew - and who once led marriage courses for young couples at the church - jest back and forth about why they were chosen to greet Francis. But in more serious moments, they say they are excited to meet a pope who is going "back to basics," Kathleen said.

"Pope Francis has made a big difference in a lot of lives," Kathleen said. "He's been a moral voice, and because he is so open, people who are not just Catholic are more inclined to listen to him."

Kathleen said she likes Francis' emphasis on important though divisive issues, as well as how he encourages all people to look beyond themselves, "especially in a city like Philadelphia, where so many are struggling," she said.

"What's the point in him not talking about the important things?" she asked.

John smiles. He disagrees.

"Are issues like climate change really something a pope should be involved in?" he asked. Still, he said, he's thrilled to meet him.

In the meantime, both are working on what they will say when Francis arrives Saturday morning.

But first, John quipped, "I just wish he could pick us up along the way."

cmccabe@philly.com

610-313-8113 @mccabe_caitlin