The Rev. Michael Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church who gained international fame following his sermon at the royal wedding last month, is making a visit to Aberdeen this Saturday.

Curry will be participating in a vigil and tour of downtown Aberdeen intended to highlight the problem of homelessness in the city and advocate for 2,000 new affordable housing units. The new group leading it, Harbor Rising, consists of a mix of those who have been homeless, local residents, and representatives from Chaplains on the Harbor, Democracy Rising, and Blind Justice.

According to Rev. Sarah Monroe from Chaplains on the Harbor, Curry had been touring the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia and became interested in joining the tour and vigil. His visit was scheduled before he became famous for his royal wedding sermon.

The event will kick off at 3 p.m. in the parking lot by Jay’s Fruit Stand. The group will walk through downtown, stopping occasionally to highlight sites that could be revitalized or rebuilt into affordable housing sites or treatment centers.

The tour will wrap up at Aberdeen City Hall at 4 p.m., where Curry and others will speak as part of a vigil and prayer for those who have died on the street.

Hannah Jones, from Harbor Roots, a Montesano area farm that employees homeless speople, is one of the organizers for the event. She said the group’s eventual goal is to find a more longterm solution to homelessness in the area.

“What we want to bring to light are longterm solutions to homelessness, that actually allow people who built this place, and are the lifeblood, to stay here,” said Jones. “One of the first steps is to actually build housing that people can afford and get into.”

Curry is scheduled to speak at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Olympia on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.