It’s not everyday the Pope visits the United States.
In fact, only three leaders of the Roman Catholic Church have ever set foot on American soil, the first being Pope Paul VI in 1965.
That’s why it was especially thrilling and unique that Oxford residents Gilbert and Nancy Pelc attended the special April 17 Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
‘It meant everything to us to be able to go there and hear him,? Nancy said. ‘It was the experience of a lifetime.?
‘It was a very moving experience,? Gilbert said.
The Pelcs were among only 75 Michigan Catholics selected to attend the Papal Mass during the pontiff’s historic six-day visit last month.
‘I don’t know anyone that was there who wasn’t absolutely thrilled to be there,? Nancy said. ‘It was uplifting.?
It was the couple’s son, Jason Pelc, who made the trip happen for his folks.
Jason works as a graphic artist for the Archdiocese of Detroit, a position he’s held for about three years.
When he heard free tickets were available in extremely limited quantities for the Papal Mass in Washington D.C., Jason applied for six and ended up getting three.
He graciously decided his parents and aunt should go.
‘It was nice to be able to give them something like that,? Jason said. ‘It wasn’t just Wings tickets. This is something they can only experience once in their lifetime.?
‘We were ecstatic,? Nancy said. ‘We actually didn’t think we’d get them. There’s so many people that wanted to go.?
When Gilbert stopped in the Catholic Bookstore in Lake Orion and told the lady behind the counter about their upcoming trip to see the Holy Father, her enthusiasm was evident.
‘She was so excited. She almost started crying,? he said.
A health issue concerning Gilbert almost prevented the couple from going, but Nancy said her husband’s doctor told them, ‘I promise you the Pope will do more for him than I will, so go.?
Being in the nation’s capital with thousands and thousands of other Catholics was a very positive experience for the Pelcs.
‘We’d go to eat and there would be nuns and priests sitting at the tables,? Nancy said. ‘It you went on some sort of a tour, half the tour bus was Catholic. It was just Catholic weekend in Washington D.C.?
Nancy described the overall mood of the city as ‘peaceful? and ‘calm.?
‘The whole city revolved around this that day,? she said.
There were some demonstrators protesting about various issues, but she said, ‘They just didn’t mean anything because there were so many people happy to be there.?
Attended by 46,000 Catholics, the two-hour Mass inside the baseball stadium was an event beyond compare, especially for a couple so devout in their beliefs.
‘It was probably one of the most spiritual things that we’d ever been to,? Nancy said. ‘We were very close. We had wonderful seats.?
One of the things that struck most was ‘the enormity of the church family.?
‘You hear so much about the dwindling of the churches, but it wasn’t that way,? she said. ‘There were so many people represented there. It was good to see it and feel it because sometimes you get lost in what it’s all about and what it should be about. That really brought it all back home.?
‘You couldn’t be there and not be impressed,? Nancy noted. ‘Just to have everybody of the same faith being in one place, it was amazing. I can’t describe it to you.?
She was astounded at how completely silent and still the massive audience was as Pope Benedict delivered his homily.
Being traditional Catholics, the pope’s message of returning the 2,000-year-old church to ‘the basics,? as Gilbert put it, resonated with the Pelcs.
‘A lot of people look for entertainment,? Gilbert said. ‘To us, that’s not what we go to church for.?
During the event, the Pelcs were interviewed by several representatives of both the mainstream and Catholic media.
Gilbert said they kept asking if they thought Benedict was a ‘better pope? than his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who visited the U.S. seven times.
‘Pope Benedict is continuing what Pope John Paul II started,? he said. ‘You could tell that in the way he speaks and his message. Even though it’s a different man, it’s still the same message.?
Gilbert noted that back when Pope Benedict was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he authored a lot of writings and speeches for John Paul II.
‘The two of them were like a team before,? he said. ‘You could see that.?
The Pelcs got a special treat during the Mass as world-renowned operatic tenor Placido Domingo sang ‘Ave Maria.?
‘You could hear a pin drop when he was singing,? Nancy said. ‘It was very moving.?
Equally impressive was how quickly and efficiently communion was delivered to the 46,000 Catholic attending the Mass. A group of 300 priests and deacons administered communion to everyone in the stadium in about 20 minutes.
‘It was orchestrated just meticulously,? Nancy said. ‘Everything went so smoothly.?