Diocesan faithful travel to Philadelphia to hear Papal Mass

Diocesan faithful part of record number to turn out for papal Mass in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA  A great number of Catholics from the Paterson Diocese joined an immense crowd of 1 million faithful in the City of Brotherly Love Sunday to show their great love and affection for Pope Francis, who celebrated Mass in the streets of the city, and to bid him a heart-felt farewell at the conclusion of his historic Sept. 22-27 visit to the U.S. That afternoon, this once-in-a-lifetime experience reinvigorated the faith of many diocesan Catholics, who were inspired by the popular pontiff’s charisma, sense of compassion and humility and his “human touch” — as well as by his wise words about strengthening families.

Among those local Catholics was Mary Somma of Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta, who traveled to Philadelphia for the Mass with her son Will, a ninth-grader at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta. There, they joined an overwhelming sea of humanity that stretched for blocks in an around the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The international congregation united as the Body of Christ, coming from different cultures and generations, speaking different languages, but singing and praying with one voice and one heart. The liturgy not only marked the conclusion of the Pope’s U.S. trip, but also the end of the World Meeting of Families [WMF] 2015 in Philadelphia, which many diocesan faithful had attended [see related story on Page 14].

“The Mass was amazing. Pope Francis tried to get as close as he could to those people, who were here by reaching out to them and kissing babies [along the motorcade route from City Hall to the worship space],” said Somma, who attended a Mass in 2008 with Pope Benedict XVI in Yankee Stadium in New York City. “Pope Francis told us to strengthen our families by performing small actions of love everyday. If we listen to his words, the world will be a better place,” she said.

On the cloudy, humid day, the Pope celebrated Mass in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on a large altar under an arch that announced WMF. Before the Mass, faithful unfurled banners and sang or chanted to express their love for Pope Francis, who has electrified not only the Church, but also the world with his teachings and example. He is the first pope to visit in Philadelphia since St. John Paul in 1979.

“It’s great to be all together in peace for the Mass. As Christians, we are all related in some way,” said Will Somma, who announced his arrival at the Mass to his friends through “group chat” text messaging.

In his homily, Pope Francis noted, “Faith opens a ‘window’ to the presence and working of the Spirit. It shows us that, like happiness, holiness is always tied to little gestures…They are the quiet things done by mothers and grandmothers, by fathers and grandfathers, by children. They are little signs of tenderness, affection and compassion, like the warm supper we look forward to at night, the early lunch awaiting someone who gets up early to go to work,” Francis told the enthusiastic crowd during the Mass, which they could watch on Jumbotrons. “That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to become faith.”

Several hours before the Mass, The Beacon found three members of the community at DePaul Catholic High School, Wayne, looking for the rest of their group: seniors Maria Matsakis and Oliver Alvarado and Father Michael Lee, chaplain.

“The Pope is always smiling and with the people,” said Matsakis, who admitted that she cried after learning that she would be attending the papal Mass. “What an incredible experience — better than I could have imagined.”

Hours later, 22-year-old Starli Castanos of St. Anthony Parish, Paterson, rushed up to the edge of the crowd to snap pictures on his cell phone of Pope Francis arriving in his Popemobile as the crowd cheered, chanted and the waved banners and papal flags.

“I couldn’t believe that I was going to see the Pope, until I saw his little white cap. Then, I saw him right there: the Vicar of Christ. I felt close to him,” said Castanos, a second-year student at St. Andrew’s Seminary at Seton Hall University, South Orange. “The Pope has a sense of humanity and kindness toward his people. He is changing the Church. It’s becoming more unified with itself and other religions,” he said.

During the Mass, Father Michael Rodak, pastor of Our Lady of Queen of Peace Parish in the Hewitt section of West Milford, and the diocesan retreat director, was blessed with the opportunity to concelebrate with the Holy Father and 1,000 priests from bleacher seats near the altar.

“The Holy Father’s trip has a common thread: that we need to show love and mercy, welcome people back into the fold, help relieve families of their burdens and to bring God into families. God is here for all of us. Our mission as Catholics is to bring people into faith and be happy doing it,” Father Rodak said. “Also, it was great to see so many masses of people to have a yearning for the faith. The Holy Father brought the Vatican to the people of America,” he said.

Then after the sun set on the city, the 1 million faithful — which included members from other religions — filed out of the worship space after the Mass. Waiting for the train home, Penny Manser, youth minister of St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains, recalled the moment that she learned that she would receive a ticket to the papal Mass — one of 200 that the diocese distributed recently.

“I felt like Willly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with the Golden Ticket. The Mass was very emotional. I’m more invigorated to minister to teens,” said Manser of her first time seeing a Pope. “Pope Francis has reinvigorated teens. His message of acceptance is important for this generation. He is making it cool to be Catholic from a teen perspective,” she said.

Also packing up that night were nine members of the youth ministry from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (IHM), Wayne, who made their journey to Philadelphia for the Pope into an extended stay. They drove to St. Denis Church in Havertown, Pa., where they slept in the school cafeteria. The group — which was led by adult chaperones — attended the papal procession and watched the Festival of Families on Sept. 26 and made meals for the homeless and attended the outdoor papal Mass on Sept. 27.

“Truly, in the moment I saw the Pope, I realized what my faith means to me… it was the greatest experience I have ever felt, and I genuinely think that feeling could never be replicated. It was such an amazing trip that I would do over a million times, no matter how sore my legs are!,” said Alex Kaminiski, a leadership team member.