The Day, I Saw a Saint...An Unforgettable Pilgrimage

"Please, please", I begged. "I want to go see the Pope". Somehow, I convinced my mother and Godmother to take a one-day, round-trip, on a Greyhound, to see Pope John Paul II. I became Catholic, in 1976, at the age of 10, and Karol Wojtyla (voteewa), became Pope in 1978, so he was the only Pope, I really knew or remembered. He was the young, charismatic, prophetic, leader of the Catholic Christian Faithful. The first non-Italian Pope, former Archbishop of Krakow, and famous Cardinal of Poland. A man, with which so many could relate. He had suffered the loss of both parents, by age 21, and had endured the Nazi take-over of his beloved homeland, Poland. There wasn't much I hadn't read about him and I just knew, I had to be there, when he came to the U.S. I was 21 and in college, when our Church announced, that we would be gathering a group to attend his Mass, at a New Orleans campus, on Sept. 12, 1987. My mother and Godmother, laughed and tried to talk me out of this crazy, one-day journey, but I wouldn't hear of it...I must go! The day was full of surprises, pain, and joy!! Our first hurdle, was the 4am call, to the bus! The bus would be loaded at St. Stanislaus, in Wylam, AL. If you've ever been to Wylam, then you know, the streets are old, and really tiny, so when the bus tried to head out, it was quite a challenge, but once we were on the open road, I felt sheer happiness. My mother and Godmother found my excitement to be funny, and contagious!! The further we drove, the more excited we all became. When we arrived, we were all given special ticket/passes to hang around our necks, and the human herding began. Our passes, indicated the roped-section into which we would slowly move. I've never seen so many people assembled in one area. We had our cooler of supplies, binoculars, and umbrellas. We settled into our designated section, and began another journey of surprises. I don't remember, the exact times, but I'm sure we were there by noon. We were in an open field, on the Eastern campus of UNO. They had First Aid stations set up throughout the field, along with what seemed like hundreds of porta-pottys!! The Mass was set to start late in the afternoon, about 4pm. The heat was unbearable and started to affect the crowds amassed in the huge field. Many people, began fainting and being transported to First Aid stations. Someone screamed behind me, and I turned to find a thin, elderly man, had fainted. I immediately went to his aid, until the rescue team arrived with a stretcher. Even, mother had to have her blood pressure checked, and we were all trying to drink water and other fluids, to stay hydrated. Then, a huge black cloud began to form to the left of the field. The cloud was so ominous, it looked as if a tornado could drop down at any minute. The wind started to blow and people were getting a little frightened. I mean, what could be worse, than a lightning storm and a crowd of people, in an open field. Umbrellas went up as the torrential rain began to fall. Despite the wind, rain, and lightning, no one moved. We came to see the Pope and we weren't leaving!! About 30 minutes before the Mass, the cloud, moved to the right of the field and the sky was overcast, with a gentle breeze blowing. God had sent a big storm to cool off a big crowd. With the welcomed breeze, came a a white Popemobile. Where just a few hours before, people were suffering heat stroke, now the crowd began to chant..."John Paul II, we love you!" I stood against the rope, as the Pope rode by and blessed the crowd and me! I felt a feeling, I've never felt before or since. The Spirit was moving and literally blowing through the crowd on the breeze. As the Mass began, I told myself...listen carefully, and soak in each moment. Despite the large crowd, and the distance, I tried to hear every word. The Mass was accompanied by the gorgeous strains of New Orleans Jazz music, and a Jazz rendition of Amazing Grace, with trumpets. It's just a moment in time, I will never forget, spent with 2 people I loved the most. Then imagine 130,000 people trying to dismiss from the field afterward. It was a little chaotic waiting for our bus to arrive, but no one was angry or mean. We patiently waited and then boarded our bus for home. As, darkness fell on our ride, our hearts were raised in praise to God. I think I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Mission accomplished...An unforgettable pilgrimage, to see an unforgettable Saint!!

Keep on Dancing!!