James Francis, of West Deptford, will be in attendance for Pope Francis' interfaith service at the 9/11 Museum.
WEST DEPTFORD TWP. -- James Wilson, a township resident and local photographer, has been taking pictures around Gloucester County for years and was one of few photographers at Ground Zero in New York after 9/11.
His photos of that horrific incident thrust him into the family of the 9/11 community, which includes victims, families and first responders.
As Pope Francis prepared for his historic trip to the United States, a lottery specifically for members of this community was opened to attend the Pontiff's interfaith service at the 9/11 Museum.
"They sent me an email that I could join (the lottery) about a month ago," Wilson said.
Wilson didn't expect to hear much from his online entry, but on Wednesday he received word that he is one of those selected to attend the service.
"This is real important for me," Wilson said.
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He's not a Roman Catholic, but has kept up on what this particular pope has had to say and enjoys the history of the event he will be lucky enough to attend.
"I think he's a great person and he's going to do a lot for the world," Wilson said. "I'm really looking forward to it and I'm excited. I think it's awesome that they invited me to go up."
Pope Francis's Interfaith Service at the 9/11 Museum will take place Friday at 11:30 a.m.
Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@southjerseymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.