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Local Catholic Reflect on Attending Papal Masses
May 06, 2008
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“A trip of a lifetime” was a recurring theme with all those who were interviewed upon their return.
Patrick Romzek, a part-time parishioner at St. Pius X in Hale, attended the Washington, D.C. celebration with his 73-year-old mother, his sister, son and his son’s friend, “we had a very spiritually uplifting and rewarding visit. We are very grateful to the Diocese of Gaylord for the tickets.
“My Mom is a lifelong devout Catholic who had never seen the Holy Father live in her 73 years,” Romzek said. “It was very personally rewarding for me to take her on this trip which was ‘a trip of a lifetime’ for her. She had previously flown on an airplane only once in her life.”
Romzek continued, “It was overwhelming to feel the power of 45,000 sharing the Mass in deep reverence and silence. It brought tears to all of our eyes to witness the arrival of the Holy Father. It is hard to describe the sense of awe we all felt knowing that we were in the presence of the Vicar of Christ, and a descendent of Peter,” Romzek note. “We felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
Eleanor Sadowski and Ann Marie Barnes also travelled to Washington, D.C. from St. Mary parish in Charlevoix. They arrived a few days prior to the outdoor Mass celebration, and visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception prior to the Pope’s visit there.
“It was wonderful to watch him on TV as he toured the magnificent structure, and know that we had just a day before shared that same space,” Sadowski said.
With regard to the Mass itself, Sadowski shared, “It was amazing to me that, even in the midst of that huge stadium filled with some 45,000 people, you felt his presence.”
One of her favorite parts of the ceremony was when the famous tenor Placido Domingo finished singing. In the silence of the moment, Domingo turned toward the Pope who rose and came forward in the direction of the singer.
“He [Domingo] fell to his knees as the Pope neared and kissed the Pope’s ring. Pope Benedict XVI then laid his hand gently on the singer’s head,” Sadowski said. “The moment was incredibly awe-inspiring. “
Those who joined the Holy Father in New York were equally enthralled.
Duane and Althea Reames from St. Michael Parish in Roscommon, travelled with their son, Tim to attend the Mass at Yankee Stadium.
“We had several funny experiences dealing with typical New York situations,” said Althea, “You expected some rudeness and that the subways could be a little scary, and those expectations were met. But on the flip side, there were instances of extraordinary kindness and beauty.”
The Reames family arrived at the stadium around 9:30 a.m. and found their seats near the very top of the upper level, situated between about third and home plate. From their seats they could take in the entire stadium and had a perfect view of all the festivities. Entertainment began at noon with the Concert of Hope and featured Marcello Giordani, Harry Connick, Jr., Jose Felicano, Ronan Tynan, Dana, Benoit Jutras and Stephanie Mills. Several area bands and choirs were also featured.
“The West Point Catholic Choir was one of the highlights for me,” Duane remarked. “They were just – really great.”
Althea continued, “My husband and I feel truly blessed. It was wonderful to see the Pope and attend the mass he celebrated. Fifty-seven thousand of the faithful in one place is very exciting. Since we have no plans to go to Rome, this was our chance to experience the joy of a Papal audience right here in the USA,” she concluded.
“My favorite part of the entire event,” said Duane, “was when the Pope entered the stadium and acknowledged the crowd. He lifted his hands and his head, and turned to each area of the stadium and wave. The crowd went wild and it was very moving for me.”
Althea enjoyed it all, but especially the music that floated through the stadium.
“And it was amazing how the reception of communion was completed. All those people and it was so organized,” Althea added. “The entire day just went by so quickly.”
For Nicole Coverly from Traverse City, who attended the New York Mass with her newborn baby along with her mother, Sherry Blaszek from St. Stephen, Lake City, it was “an amazing experience.”
“Because it was a Christian event you’d expect everyone to be nice – and I was not disappointed,” Nicole noted. “From the spectators to the security guards, everyone was very accommodating. One security guard even offered my daughter and me his chair while we were waiting for the crowds to disperse at the end.”
In a thank-you note to the Diocese of Gaylord, Denise Leese, from Cross in the Woods, Indian River and a member of the Diocesan Pastoral Council who attended the Mass in New York with her mother and daughter wrote, “Our trip was great! We were very lucky to see the Pope three times. His Popemobile came down the street next to our hotel on Saturday and we got to see him as we waved our flags for him Our hotel overlooked Ground Zero, so we were able to watch out our window as he arrived and gave his prayer service there Sunday morning (very touching).”
Leese continued, “And of course we saw him Sunday afternoon at his Papal Mass at the stadium. It was all great and very moving.”
Following the Mass at Yankee Stadium, Pope Benedict XVI concluded his six-day journey. He too will carry memories of his visit with the faithful of our country.
At the airport, the Holy Father shared these closing remarks: “These days that I have spent in the United States have been blessed with many memorable experiences of American hospitality, and I wish to express my deep appreciation to all of you for your kind welcome. It has been a joy for me to witness the faith and devotion of the Catholic community here… With these words, I take my leave, I ask you to remember me in your prayers, and I assure you of my affection and friendship in the Lord. May God bless America!”
