Catholic University to be central in pope's D.C. stay

"Everybody in the area is so excited. It just means a lot for the faith life on campus," said Matt Shaffer, student.

On Thursday, the pope will address the leaders of Catholic schools and universities from across the nation. Some have suggested they may be in for a scolding. Others say the correction will be more subtle.

"We've all been reflecting on our faithfulness to our Catholic identity and our mission, quite frankly, there are some who have failed, but our focus is not on failures, but to encourage people to see the importance that Catholic identity holds within higher education," said O'Connell.

The pope's message is expected to be one of hope, words of encouragement for Catholics and an opportunity for American Catholics and non-Catholics alike to get to know this man better.

"That is the challenge, to get a point across and get a thought across in something more than just what you can put into a sound bite," said Wuerl.

"For a man who is sort of mysterious, mystery creates fascination. He'll be well regarded and will be well-received here," said O'Connell.