Pilgrimage 2015: World meeting of Families in Philadelphia, PA

"A society grows strong, grows good, grows beautiful, and grows in truth if it's built on the foundation of a family"- Pope Francis at World Meeting of Families 2015

Thursday/Friday: Traveling Days 

On Thursday afternoon, just after Amanda got out of class at the University of Nebraska Omaha, she came over to my apartment to find Amy (my roommate), Andrea (another student in her junior year at UNO) and I all packed into the rental car that would take the four of us from Omaha, NE to Philadelphia, PA and along the way we stayed with Amanda's family, both in Pittsburg and in Media which helped save us money since we did not have to rent a hotel room. Just before we left we attended daily mass at Christ the King Catholic Church in Omaha, and after mass received a special blessing from the priest for a safe and blessed trip. After a quick cup of coffee for the road, and lunch at Chipotle we left Omaha and were on our way!

Traveling from Omaha to Philadelphia

Andrea, Jamie (me), Amy, and Amanda as
we get ready to leave Omaha!

 Thursday was filled with driving and getting to know one another, and we stayed in Pittsburg with Amanda’s grandparents in the early hours of Friday and into the early afternoon as we rested from a long nights drive. Then Leaving at about 12:30 on Friday we drove to Media, just outside Philadelphia, where we stayed with Amanda’s Uncle Dennis and Aunt Ruth. We were able to go to a nearby church and pray for a bit in adoration and after returned to her Aunt and Uncles house where we ate dinner together and had amazing conversation with the two who are college professors at the local community colleges. It was so amazing to hear their stories and learn about their lives. Her Aunt Ruth spent many years as a child psychiatrist and it was fascinating to hear about what it was like and some of her more memorable cases. They were some of the most hospitable people I have ever met. Soon enough we were off to bed to rest up before we left on Saturday morning to head into the city!

Dinner with Amanda's Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dennis in
Media, PA.

Saturday: The day of great Joy and Surprise 

There was not one moment of the day Saturday that I did not feel the presence of God. He was with us every step of the way and everything fell into place- it could not have gone better if we had tried to plan it because we could not have orchestrated such an incredible plan. It was clear that we were right where He wanted us to be and that each person we encountered, not matter how brief, we met for a reason.

We left Media, PA at 4:00 am and drove to New Jersey so that we could buy our PATCO (train) ticket into the city. We got there easily and with no traffic, and began waiting in line (Amanda is convinced that the road doesn’t actually exist because we couldn’t find it on a map and there was no one else on the road! Who knows, but getting to the train station as quickly as we did was a miracle!) While waiting to buy our PATCO pass we met Joe and Chris, two men who were waiting to enter the city so that they could go to work. It was clear they were less than enthused about waiting to enter the station but said they had been expecting the crowd. Once we had our passes in hand and on the train we were thrilled, because we were on our way into the city.

One the train and on our way into the city!

Once in Philadelphia we decided to go to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church for the 7:45 am mass. It was only 6:45. Time to spare we arrived and began talking to a group of young people from Indiana, who informed us that mass was actually at 8:30 and the Bishop from their diocese in Indiana was celebrating the mass. More waiting, but without anywhere else to be we didn’t mind and just began getting to know the people in the group. We prayed Morning Prayer with them and their chaplain, and before we knew it they opened the doors to the church and we headed in to get a seat. (It isn’t too often that I get to church before it is even unlocked!)

Quickly the church filled with people- The Dominican Sisters from Nashville, TN were there in their white habits and black veils. (We continued to see them all throughout the city during our time in Philly.) During his homily, the Bishop told us that we were inside the church that used to be the cathedral for Philadelphia and St. John Neumann was the bishop at that time and often offered the mass inside that same church. (Bishop Neumann is who the Neumann centers across the country are named after. More information about him can be found under my post about the JPII Neumann center.)

So excited to be in the city!
(Amanda, me, Andrea, and Amy)

 After mass, Amy, Andrea, and Amanda all made their way to the bathroom and as they left in filed other people, one of whom was a woman from France named Vivi. Vivi just happened to sit next to me because there wasn’t room next to her friends, and the French mass was to start soon after the English mass ended. As we were talking, a young man from the group we had met earlier walked up to me and interrupted to give us four tickets to the independence hall talk by Pope Francis on immigration and religious freedom that afternoon! I thanked him and as he walked away Vivi looked at me and was shocked to find out that I had come all that way without any tickets. She rushed over to her friend, and came back holding 2 tickets to the meeting of families that night and 2 tickets to the Papal mass Sunday afternoon. She apologized that they did not have more, and I thanked her greatly for what she had just given me!

Once the girls came back I said good-bye to Vivi, promising to pray for her and her son Orion (please do too! J) and headed out of the church to share the great news with the group. We stood, so excited to have received the tickets and not one thought as to how we were going to decide who was going to which events. We just offered prayers of gratitude to God and as we walked away from the crowded church we stopped to ask this group of women a quick question. After a short time we find out that they are from the same small town in Pennsylvania that Amanda had grown up in. They quickly handed over 1 more ticket to both the gathering that night and for the Papal mass Sunday as well as $20 for breakfast. We couldn’t believe what had happened. The same 4 young women who had been told by so many people that they were crazy for driving to Philadelphia without a plan had within 4 hours of being in the city received 4 tickets to the Independence hall address, 3 tickets to the evening gathering, 3 tickets to the Papal mass Sunday and $20. Still in need of 1 more ticket to the World meeting of families that night and the Papal mass we were certain that God would provide for us.

With our money we decided to stop into a small French restaurant for a coffee and pastry. Who approaches us as our server but Chris, the same Chris who we had met waiting in line at the train station! We could not believe our eyes!

We saw Chris on the train into Philly and then just
happened to go to the same restaurant he was working at
about 4 hours later! 

The rest of the day continued to go well. We made our way to the independence hall gathering area for the talk on immigration and while waiting made our way to the street area in anticipation of the parade and a chance to see Pope Francis up close. No one could confirm the rout he was going to take, but sure enough he drove right past us and we were only 10 feet from him as he came closer to kiss a baby right in front of us. (I have to be honest though and admit that I couldn’t actually see him kissing the baby- I saw him get close and then disappear behind the crowd. Amanda saw it though!) After that we headed over to the grassy area to lay out our mats and lawn chairs and listen to the Pope speak about immigration and religious freedom.

Waiting for the parade to start, and a group
 of high school boys showed up
with a cut out of the Pope's face! 

At the parade we were able to see Pope Francis up close!

At the conclusion, Pope Francis led us all in a prayer, the Lords prayer, in English. It was a very touching moment for me. To say the same prayer that I recite every day and have since I was a child with the Holy Father in my native language, and with thousands of others brought tears to my eyes. 

Next we were off to the World meeting of families’ event that night at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, but we were still in need of 1 more ticket. I decided to text me friend Jackie who I knew was in the city at the time with a group from her campus and sure enough that had an extra ticket! We made it in time to watch most of the performances, and hear the Pope speak about families. It was a very touching night and I am still processing a lot of what was said that night.

I ran into Jackie!
And she gave us a ticket!

**Visit (here) hear his speech at the gathering, with an English translator.**

At the end of the long day we headed home and went to bed around 12:00. I wish I could tell you more, but so much happened that I feel like this would become a novel by the time I finished writing it all down. What you need to remember most is that we were all so grateful for the many unexpected blessings that God poured down upon us the entire day and left exhausted but feeling the love of the Father in our hearts. 

Sunday: The day of Endurance and Tenacity

 Sunday we woke up to a new day, and soon it went from feeling like the start to another great day to feeling as if everything had gone wrong. From the outside looking in it is easy to think that Saturday was perfect and that Sunday was a complete fail. Let me explain a little bit more and soon you will understand. Knowing that we were to begin our journey home that night we decided it best to sleep in a little and arrive in Philadelphia around 11:30 since mass wasn’t to start until 4:00pm. We made our way to the line of people and soon found it filled with thousands and no security check point in sight. I would also like to point out we still only had 3 passes, but decided to go ahead and get in line and see what happened. We waited in line for over 6 hours, moving inches at a time, only to finally get past security just as everyone from the mass began filing out at 6:00pm. Standing, packed in the street with thousands of people for 6 hours, and in the end we still didn’t make it in time. Discouragement. Sadness. And we had gotten separated in the crowd so we were alone.

The beginning of the line to the Papal Mass.

This is what it looks like for most people who might hear that we waited for 6 hours and didn’t get in, but what I experienced was so much more than that.  The entire time we were waiting, I had faith and hope that we were going to make it in time, and even when it was 4:00pm and mass was starting I had faith that we would make it in time to receive the Eucharist, and at 5:30 as communion was ending I had hope that we might make it to the final blessing, and as the final blessing happened at 5:55 and I was still outside, I bowed down and received the blessing from where I was standing. Just 20 people behind making it through security I was determined to make it inside. I looked behind me to see what was left of the line, and there were only a few people. What had been hundreds behind me had dwindled down to 3 rows of about 10. As I walked through security, I had mixed emotions. I felt so glad to have met all the people that I would have never had the opportunity to encounter, but at the same time in complete honesty with myself and with God, my heart felt the pierce of sadness as reality set in that I was not going to receive Communion and the mass had ended. Tears welled in my eyes and began to fall as I began walking towards the alter where mass had been said and I got as close as I could. Along the way I had found Amy and so we unrolled a mat and kneeled together before God. After praying and giving my sadness over to God, I rolled up the mat and we went off to find Andrea and Amanda renewed in Christ who loves us and stood by us.

As I am reflecting on our experiences from the weekend, I can’t help but reflect on what God taught me in those two long days and it is something that I will hold onto for the rest of my life.

The same God who had meticulously planned my day and showered me with graces on Saturday was the same God who planned my day and showered me with graces on Sunday. Sure Sunday was filled with trials and tribulation but He was with me. He never left me. And He had a plan. Each person I encountered was for a reason. Rose, who gave us the last ticket we needed to enter through security, the three ladies from New Jersey who we also sat with on the train ride out of Philadelphia (2 hours later), Santiago and Sophie, the two children around the ages of 9 and 11 who traveled from Mexico to see the Pope with their family, the two business men from Minnesota who flew in a day early to celebrate mass with the Holy Father before their meeting on Monday morning, the couple that drove from Canada and had the most beautiful voices, the family of 5 that lived right there in Philadelphia who invited me to stay at their house the next time I am in Philadelphia to have some real African food, and the girl I never met but who was right in front of me as she went though the security line who when asked to leave her camera sick behind to enter through security did not hesitate to give it up even though the mass had ended. All of the people I encountered have affected my life, and I would have never met them had I not endured waiting in that line.

This experience has taught me that it is easy to offer God praises when life is easy, it is even easier to turn to God and ask for help when times are hard, but when times are really hard and there is no end in sight (literally), and all you want to do is to give up because you feel like God is not giving you what you want, THAT is when it is the hardest to give God praise. It was still in Gods plan, He allowed it to happen, but  He still stood with me and never left my side. When I felt discouraged, or sad he brought me hope and joy through those around me. I may not have received Christ in the Eucharist waiting in line for mass, but I received the love of Christ through each and every person around me and that is something I will never forget.   

After a long day of waiting, we packed up
and began our drive home.