Fr. Marek’s Personal Account with Pope Benedict XVI

Last week from April 15-20, America was blessed by a precious visit of Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope met with everybody: the civil authorities, beginning with the president in the White House and the Church authorities, beginning with our Cardinals at the Apostolic Embassy.  Further, in Washington he also visited with Catholics, especially in the National Shrine but also with people of other religious denominations at Ecumenical Services in the John Paul Center.  Then he met with religious people in New York at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, as well as a large multitude in Yankee Stadium. There were many private meetings: with Catholic educators, seminarians, members of the Jewish community, the handicapped, and victims of scandalous child-abuses. In a certain sense, everyone could experience his attention and love.

Fr. Phil and I took the opportunity to meet with Pope Benedict in New York. On Friday, after a day-long journey in Fr. Phil’s car, we arrived at the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament close to the center of New York City.  On Saturday morning, they accompanied us to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Some of the Sisters were privileged to read the petitions of the prayers of the faithful.

There was only one problem. Until the last moment we could not obtain tickets. Ultimately, after our prayers and the intervention of some men in charge, the two of us obtained four special tickets. Thanks to those tickets, we got to the hotel among bishops preparing for the Holy Mass, vested into cathedral liturgical vestments in one room with cardinals, and concelebrated the mass with the Pope from the front pew sitting opposite him. Therefore, we were able to take nice photos (you can find some of them on our Parish website).

The Pope concluded with a beautiful meditation about the symbolism of the cathedral with the following words: “And when we leave this great church, let us go forth as heralds of hope in the midst of this city, and all those places where God’s grace has placed us. In this way, the Church in America will know a new springtime in the Spirit, and point the way to that other, greater city, the new Jerusalem, whose light is the Lamb. For there God is even now preparing for all people a banquet of unending joy and life. Amen.“

Thanks to our priestly clothing and papal signs, while we were in the metro area or on trains, many people, especially Catholics, stopped us and were wondering about our pilgrimage. It was also a form of evangelization in this “center of America”. For me, it was a surprise when a young man recognized me from the Washington Prolife March and addressed me in New York.

I did not want to write about myself, but let this serve as a testimony of God’s providence and love. President Bush, although he is not a Catholic, said that he can see God in the eyes of the Pope. Let everyone know that the Vicar of Christ, a man sent by God, was among us!