First, a story.
I’m killing you, I know it! Perhaps you will forgive me when I share with you this awesome photo:
This is a picture of my friend, Molly. She shared it with me after leaving her comment yesterday. (You really must go back and read it.)
Pretty cool, huh?! And what a witness to the love of our beloved Papa.
Are you ready for me to announce the winner? It’s almost time! (I’m evil; I already know that.) I loved reading the comments you left yesterday, and they reminded me of my own experience seeing Pope John Paul II.
You may read about them if you like…
…or you may curse me to your dying day for taking forever to announce the winner.
Ahem.
The winner of Breakfast with the Pope is…
Erin from San Clemente, CA! Please email me with your address, Erin. I’ll get your book in the mail ASAP.
Thank you for sharing your stories, everyone! I hope to do another giveaway soon.
Can I cheat and share my experience with JPII? I missed yesterday's chance to win the book.
In 1979 I had the opportunity to go to Madison Square Garden to the Youth Rally. It was soooo exciting! I had gone with my future husband (we weren't even dating yet!) my brother and his friend. There was such camaraderie there, it was so awesome!! I was 19 at the time and involved in TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) .
Fast forward to 1995. My daughter was part of the Youth Choir of the Archdiocese of New York. She sang at Central Park early in the morning before the Papal Mass. It was raining and misty, but we were all very excited. The mass was sooo awesome. I remember "chasing" the pope mobile with her, and a group of others from the choir. By that time the sun had come out a little and the rain had quieted to a mist. What was really a coincidence was the fact that my brother (a priest) gave out communion in the area where we were sitting. That was a God incidence. Out of all the communion stations in Central Park he just happened to be in ours!!!! Just getting a glimpse of "Papa" was sooo wonderful! He landed in Newark Airport on the day of my 14th wedding anniversary. I find that to be such a blessing. I get goosebumps just thinking about those two very "AWESOME" and "HOLY" experiences!
When I read Molly's comment yesterday, I was in tears just imagining how that must have felt.
I had a deep love for JPII, as he reminded me so much of my own grandfather. My Papa immigrated to the US from Poland in 1921 when he was 16 years old. The slight resemblance, the foreign accent…
I felt an instant connection to JPII.
My grandfather died in 2004 at the age of 98, and I deeply loved JPII as I loved my Papa. I miss them both terribly.
I missed the chance to tell my Pope story but I love sharing it anyway.
My husband and I had long planned a trip to Rome, and it was long booked when Pope John PaulII died. We went to Rome, doing normal touristy things when we were passing a Church which had huge crowds outside, being the nosey person I am we walked to the church to see what was going on. Although there was a huge crowd outside we walked into the church which was absolutely teeming, there were barriers at the back of the Church but we found a spot near the barriers and waited. Somebody was leading the Rosary in Italian and we tried to join in but there was such an expectant atmosphere I was just so excited even though I didn't know what was happening. AFter we had stood there about an hour an English priest told us that Pope Benedict was coming to give flowers to Our Lady after his oficial installation as Pope. After I heard that nothing would drag me away.
We waited a total of 2.5 hours and one of the guys who was manning the barriers caught my eye and beckoned the two of us forward and let us through the barriers into the main part of the Church and pointed out a good place for us to stand, less than 10 minutes later the Pope entered the Church amid much applause, he went to the statue of Our Lady and gave her some beautiful flowers, then stood on a stool to give everyone a blessing, he then came back down the central aisle, smiling and waving and blessing people. We were about 8ft away from him, could almost touch him, he looked me straight in the eye and I cried tears of such happiness, I didn't even realise I was crying.
I was very blessed t his year to be able to represent my Parish at the beatification mass in Birmingham UK of Cardinal Newman and again, was very close to tears although I was no where near so close.
Lesley
It is awesome – in the truest sense of the word – to hear everyone's story and the love we share for the Holy Father is just radiating from each one…
Tears falling here, after reading Molly's story. Why is it that everytime I saw our dear Papa, I dissolved into tears, and still do? I was unable to go to his Mass at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987 due to pg complications (and we had tickets!,) bit I vividly remember watching him on tv in our living room and the tears were just rolling. I heard Jeff Cavins talk once of JPII's visit to St. Louis and how Jeff turned to the cameraman, who wasn't Catholic, and was astonished to see him in tears. God blessed us all with such a loving Holy Father!
Thanks for sharing Molly's picture, Margaret!
Have a very Blessed Christmas!
Stacy (in MI)