Diocesan Catholics react to pope’s visit The Diocese of Jackson provided about 100 people tickets to the papal Mass in New York at Yankee Stadium, April 20.
Mississippi Catholic asked them to respond to three sets of questions:
1. What did it feel like to actually see Pope Benedict XVI in person, no matter how far away? How close did you get, did you get to touch him?
Brittany Longino, 19, Alcorn
State University freshman
I wasn’t able to get really close to the pope, but I was able to get close enough to take good pictures. It was soo amazing to see so many people cheering for him and telling him how much they love him.
Once he arrived it was like all the bad situations I had in my heart were gone; it felt like I was at peace for a moment.
Dorothy Ashley
Jackson Holy Ghost Parish
When I saw him, I thought, “Here is the Vicar of Christ, the successor of St. Peter, the one who Jesus has given authority to shepherd his church here on earth……and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!” I realized it was a great grace for me and the thousands of others who also beheld him. I might not have this chance in my lifetime again.
Santo Arico
Oxford St. John Parish
I saw that he was not distant and out-of-touch with everyday people. His warmth and love for us was very powerful — even though my wife and I were seated in the right field bleachers, quite a distance from him.
Cindy McGraw
Jackson St. Richard Parish
We couldn’t even see the altar, but just being there was very cool. After the Mass, he took a little spin in the popemobile around the outfield where we were sitting and we were able to get a glimpse of him. I got a very comforting feeling when I saw him.
Kirkland Ashley, 16, Madison St. Joseph School
To me, seeing the pope didn’t really have an effect on me spiritually but from seeing the 25,000 people at the youth rally and the 57,000 at the papal Mass, it made me want to grow in a closer relationship with God so I could feel the same way I could tell others felt by their facial expressions and chants.
2. What one or two things stand out as you reflect on your experience? Was there something in particular he said that struck you, or surprised you?
Father Ricardo Phipps
Jackson Christ the King
and St. Mary pastor
Because I had the experience of distributing the Holy Eucharist, that aspect of the experience will always stay with me. I thought it might seem like a very mechanical process because there were so many people, but the great faith of the people showed in their eyes as they each came forward to receive Christ’s body.
Everyone there came to see Pope Benedict and to be with the faithful, but most importantly they came to receive Jesus.
Patty Merkus
Vicksburg St. Paul Parish
Mass, in itself, is a sacred experience. To actually celebrate a Mass with the pope officiating made me feel an even closer connection with Christ. The pope made the Mass all inclusive by having the first reading read in English, but printed in Spanish, and the second reading was written in English, but read in Spanish. Petitions were read in varied languages also.
It became even more of a reality to me that we are experiencing a shortage in priests, and the Holy Father spoke of this and urged us to continue to pray for hearts to be open to the calling of Christ and to be open to service.
Tanya Britton
Jackson Christ the King Parish
I loved that the Mass (Sunday) included the Creed in Latin. We chanted it and after a line or two I remembered how we sang it as children and young adults.
This universal language of the church is part of us and we need to pass it on; not stifle it and relegate it to the archives.
Just as spirituals are part of the African American experience in this country so too Latin is part of the Roman Catholic experience in this country.
Besides, the liturgical reform has been grossly misunderstood. Knowing a little Latin goes a long way when reading many of the encyclicals and other church documents.
McGraw
I was amazed and touched by the crowd’s outpouring of love at the Mass, everyone was so happy to be there and I think we all felt really blessed in his presence.
It was so cool to be around that many Catholics too! I had a hard time understanding the holy father during his homily, but I think that peace, love, hope and forgiveness were mentioned. . . . or at least that’s what I took home with me!
I think Pope Benedict did everything right on his visit to the U.S. and he was a huge hit with people of all religions!
Kirkland Ashley
One thing that REALLY struck me was the papal Mass. Mostly everything was sung, even the Gospel. Personally I have never heard the Gospel sung or even that much singing in Mass, so that was pretty interesting.
Another thing that stood out to me was, before Mass started, we had this concert called “Concert of Hope” where different singers or groups sang.
This one group in particular, young boys whose name was “Libera” sounded really good. I felt different when I heard them singing. It gave me a feeling of angels watching over us and just making the whole day better than ever.
Longino
As I reflect back on my experience, I can still see how happy he looked. He waved and blew kisses to everyone. He was like a dove, peaceful and friendly.
I take the pope’s visit as a new beginning. I remember in the Bible when God flooded the earth and Noah sent out a dove, and the dove brought back an olive branch.
I see the pope as that dove, bringing peace to America, and peace to end the war. Maybe he is our sign.
At the rally as he spoke, one thing that “His Holiness” stressed was to attend Mass. This struck me the most because I’m a college student, and do not stay in my hometown.
When I was at home, I can remember my parents always telling me to get ready to go to church. Now that I am on my own, I find it easy to wake up and go to Mass.
I attend Mass in a little town about 15 miles from school. No matter how late I go to bed, I still will go to Mass. If I miss it on Sunday, I will go on Wednesday.
Stedman Ashley, 18
Jackson Jim Hill senior
Nothing really stood out (other than the bad things) and I kind of knew what the pope was going to speak about (friendship with God/Jesus) so what he said didn’t really surprise me.
Luke Arredondo
Diocese of Jackson seminarian
Though he said many things that impressed me, one thing that I think can be appreciated by all the faithful was his discussion of freedom. He noted that our country rightly values freedom, but it has an incorrect notion of what the word means.
True freedom, he said, consists not in making your own rules, going and doing what you choose, and refusing to submit to anyone’s authority.
No, this is not freedom, but slavery; for what results is an enslavement to one’s passions and desires. The secular concept of freedom is, therefore, a contradiction, as it often leads to compulsions and addictions.
Authentic freedom, Christian freedom, lies in placing one’s entire will before Christ and following he who is the truth, the way, and the life.
As a seminarian did you feel a special connection with Pope Benedict? Did it strengthen you vocation?
Seeing the pope was great; and as a member of the Body of Christ, I think all people, seminarians, priests, high school students, etc. should feel a special bond with him, since he is our shepherd.
The experience that strengthened my vocation, however, was being together with so many other seminarians. It was truly incredible to be with so many other
young men who are trying to live the authentic freedom the Holy Father referred to in his address.
3. What difference will it make in your life as a Catholic?
Father Phipps
It has given me an even better sense of the universality of our Church. As I talked with other priests there, many from the Northeast, I was struck by how their pastoral challenges were actually very similar to many we experience in our area.
I left the experience reminded once again that what unites us as Catholic Christians is far greater than what might distinguish the members of the body.
Merkus
When you are in a place with 57,000 fellow Catholics, you see how strong the Catholic faith is!
I feel I had an opportunity of a lifetime to actually attend the papal Mass, and for that I am blessed and feel rejuvenated in my faith. Meeting other Catholics from all over the U.S. was a great experience too!
McGraw
I hope I will be a better Catholic. I am so lucky to have made this trip and I feel very blessed and humbled by the entire experience.
I am very proud to be Catholic and I think the Holy Father’s visit has been major in healing some of the hurt and anger caused by the sex abuse scandals. I know that has really bothered a lot of Catholics, myself included.
I hope that his words will maybe bring some of the people back into the church.
Kirkland Ashley
Being a Catholic, I do feel honored I got the chance, but as far as my faith life is concerned, I know, just as my mother said, it won’t hit me until I get older — the graces that I received.
So for now I will pray to grow stronger in my faith and pray that one day I might understand the spiritual purpose this pilgrimage has for my life.
Arico
I’ll never forget the throngs — not an empty seat did I see in the stadium — that reached out to the pope, applauded and cheered him and spiritually thirsted to absorb his blessing, his words, his message.
Stedman Ashley
It’s not going to make much of a difference in my Catholic life, but I will admit that seeing 25,000-something people come out to support the pope made me a kind of proud to be a Catholic.
Britton
I have again reaffirmed my commitment to Jesus and his church. The only time the Holy Father was interrupted with applause (many of us rose to our feet) was when he spoke of “the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother’s womb.”
He encouraged us to not grow weary. I have been tempted to “rest” from the pro-life work that I have done since 1987. If I got nothing else from attending the biggest Catholic church in the world (Yankee Stadium) it was a reaffirmation of my vow to defend life.
Dorothy Ashley
Pope Benedict XVI brought a message of love and hope. Jesus is love. Jesus is my hope eternal. As I told the youth who came with me . . . many of the graces of this pilgrimage are yet to be seen or understood.
But, I believe as we continue to live and grow in our relationship with Jesus through prayer, love and service to our less fortunate brothers and sisters, the graces we received will help us to be more like Jesus in our ordinary, daily lives.
