Goodrich – She received one of the golden tickets’a ticket to see Pope Benedict XVI in New York for his first visit to the United States.
Sister Heidi King, 34, a nun at St. Mark the Evangelist Church at 7696 S. Gale Road since 2001, said her name was drawn when the Catholic parishes of Genesee County secured tickets for each local parish, to be distributed by lottery for adults ages 18 to 35-years-of-age.
‘We are a small parish, so we were given only one ticket,? said King.
‘Sister Joan came home and asked, what I was doing April 17 through the 21st,? said King. ‘I said, ‘I don’t know, I have to check my calendar.? Sister Joan said, ‘I hope you are free, you get to go to New York to see the Pope.??
King was suprised to win the opportunity from among 42 other Catholics to see the pope. ‘I was thrilled, this was really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There was no way I could miss it,? said King.
This was the second time King has seen Benedict. Two summers ago, she and Sister Joan May stayed with the Italian sisters of St. Joseph in their convent in Rome.
‘Each day we took the bus to Vatican City. We had the opportunity to attend a general audience with Pope Benedict along with thousands of other people in St. Peter’s Square. I never imagined that I would get to see the Holy Father for a second time, this time in the United States.?
‘It was truly a blessing, the likes of which, I am certain, will continue to influence our lives in ways seen and unseen,? said King.
At the Mass, King said everyone received holy cards and pictures of the Pope. ‘One of the young men on the trip gave me a newspaper article commemorating the Holy Father’s visit,? she said.
Souvenirs, King said, were everywhere. She saw t-shirts, buttons, papal flags, books, baseball caps and magnets.
‘Security was everywhere,? said King. ‘We were told that security was even higher than it is for the President of the United States.? She said police officers were stationed in front of each section of steps at Yankee Stadium, all over the streets, everywhere they looked.
‘We even noticed that police snipers with huge guns stood on top of all of the buildings in the area,? said King.
King said the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium was electrifying.
‘Seeing Catholics, young and old, black, white and brown all together in one place was magnificent,? said King. ‘There was lots of excited conversation, waiting for Pope Benedict to arrive. Silence and then applause at the sight of him, thunderous applause at his words, and 50,000-plus people cheering, ‘Viva la Poppa. Viva la Poppa. Benedetto Benedetto.??
Another memorable moment, King said, was when her group prayed the Rosary at Ground Zero. ‘There were young men in shorts and jeans, a mom with a baby, and others who stopped what they were doing to join us,? said King.
Having heard Benedict speak twice has left a positive impression on King. ‘I love this pope, he is brilliant and a true scholar. He will certainly lead the church in the right direction to focus on Jesus Christ and the sacrament and to be good, faithful, loving followers of Christ who are proud to be Catholics and are unafraid to take a stand for Christ,? said King. ‘I think the world has come to love this really remarkable Pope, even those who were a little fearful or uneasy in the beginning.?
King said Catholics in the United States were very blessed to get the visit from Benedict and said it was like a much needed booster shot.
‘Hopefully, it will make us all even more fervent in our faith, and will rekindle the fires of faith for those who have gone away from the Church for awhile. I think the inspiration of Pope Benedict’s visit might bring some Catholics back home, so to speak,? said King.