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Providence College Professor May Meet Pope At 9/11 Memorial Museum

BOSTON (CBS) -- Professor Sandra Keating is one of the few who will get the opportunity to possibly meet Pope Francis when he comes to New York.

"If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would have been doing this, I would never have believed it," she told WBZ.

Keating, an associate professor of theology at Providence College, says she has worked with the Vatican since 2003 on Muslim-Christian relations, but she had no idea she would be chosen to attend an interfaith meeting at the September 11 Memorial Museum.

"He's very interested in talking about all religious people can contribute to bringing peace about the world," she says, adding that the museum is a symbol for Americans about religious violence and the pope wants to go there to use it as an opportunity to unite believers in this project of bringing about peace in the world.

She says about 30 people will attend the meeting with the pope for an hour.

The professor is unsure whether she will be able to speak with the pope one-on-one, but if she can her message will be to continue to work with young people and give them hope.

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