As Pope Francis continues his tour of the United States, some New Jersey Catholics are preparing to attend his Mass at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Only a limited amount of tickets to papal events went out to New Jersey residents. Sam and Tina Raia, of Saddle River, are anticipating their moment in the pope's presence. They will be attending Friday's Mass.

"It's just an honor to be in his presence, to see him. And to see the people how they react towards him," says Tina Raia.

Rosemaria and Richard Gazaleh, of Somerset, were among the 25,000 Catholics who saw Pope Francis at his first U.S. Mass at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. They say that it is a memory they will always treasure.

"The throngs of people just makes it a very uplifting experience," says Richard Gazaleh.

The Gazalehs say that they have seen other popes in person but feel that Francis is more down to earth than his predecessors.

Pope Francis is not scheduled to stop in New Jersey during his U.S. tour. After New York, the pontiff will travel to Philadelphia