There are few moments in life that are truly unforgettable - this past weekend I experienced one of them.
I wasn't planning on going into the city for the World Meeting of Families - in fact I had mentioned to my parents that I might just come home for the weekend. The hype of the event some affectionately deemed "Pope-pocalypse" had been plastered all over the news for weeks. The estimated crowd of millions meant that all classes were cancelled on Friday, the train stations were closed, and my university was basically shut down except for the library and dining halls.
On Tuesday night, after a spur-of-the moment change of heart, my friend and I decided that we would probably never have the opportunity to be so close to the pope again. So we decided to buy a special train pass to get into Philly for the weekend (only five bucks - so worth it!). As it turned out, another group of girls from our dorm had tickets as well, so we all planned to travel together.
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| The "Pope Squad" |
Getting into the city on Saturday was surprisingly easy - the trains we got on were no fuller than normal and we only had to wait in line to get through security for about forty-five minutes. We came in with absolutely no plan so we spent the time reading over the event lineup and just taking in the crowd. It was so awesome to see how far people had traveled and how happy everyone was to be there.
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| Please note the Dope Pope pin, my new prized possession :) |
When we got into the actual event area, we snagged a spot on the side of the parade route. There was such limited information on when the pope would actually be driving through - a police officer told us it would be in an hour while a man who had been waiting since 10:30 that morning said it would be much later in the evening. Thanks to a jumbo tron at the end of the street we got to see and listen to Pope Francis' address at Independence Hall. After that it was just more waiting...and waiting...and waiting. By around 7 pm it was getting darker, the streets were getting much more crowded, and we were tired and antsy to see him in person. Someone pointed out that snipers had taken their places on the tops of the surrounding buildings, which was scary but meant that he was getting closer!
Then, flashes of blue and red police lights illuminated the giant screens - the parade had begun! The anticipation and excitement in the air was palpable. Before I knew it the police cars were driving by and a bright, white light was just around the corner.
The moment Pope Francis passed by us was so surreal. It's hard to put into words how I felt - I can only describe it as an overwhelming sense of calm, peace, and joy. It was all over in a matter of seconds, but the opportunity to be in the presence of such an charismatic figure is something I will never forget.
We snapped a quick photo outside of city hall to commemorate our experience before making the long trek back to school. As we were leaving the city I saw a banner with a quote from Pope Francis saying, "Have the courage to be truly happy." I've now made it my personal goal to do so.
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| Feeling #blessed...literally |
(all photo creds to my awesome friend Nicole)
Thanks so much for reading - stay tuned for more adventures!
