Eight days as a volunteer on the trail of Pope Francis

Friday, Oct. 09, 2015

By Susan Dennin

Director of Communications

Diocese of Salt Lake City 

Pope Francis’ visit to the United States was historic on many fronts. His journey also holds special meaning for me because I had the opportunity to spend more than eight days supporting the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as they welcomed him. The experience was a whirlwind of activity, emotion and singular moments.  It was also overwhelmingly a week of love; not only a message of love from the Holy Father, but also love returned exponentially from the people who came from near and far to share fellowship and a moment with Pope Francis.

The week began the Sunday before the pope’s Tuesday arrival with the gathering of more 100 communications professionals from dioceses around the country.  Their acumen and experience made the 20-hour days less grueling, and we created lasting friendships. We shared in assignments ranging from credentialing more than 7,800 media staff from more than 250 countries; to escorting Vatican dignitaries to events; to providing media support for activities in each of the three cities of Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia; to writing pool reports.  All was conducted under the watchful eye of the U.S. Secret Service that controlled every event; requiring security sweeps and scans at multiple checkpoints. This was the largest security operation ever undertaken by the U.S.S.S., and from the insider perspective it was clear nothing was left to chance.  

Attending historic papal events was certainly a highlight of the time away from home and my regular job; however, the stories of the people I met at the events will stay with me as long as the memory of seeing Pope Francis. At each venue I was deeply affected by the spirit of fellowship and joy. The momentum of the growing crowds and the secular media attention in each city buoyed everyone, even Pope Francis, whom we noticed seemed revived at each new city despite the relentless schedule.

There were so many special moments, and I would like to share a few from each city that stand out. In Washington, I was assigned to work at the nunciature for a day. Schoolchildren from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. were selected by lottery to stand in front of the Vatican Embassy for a chance to meet the pope. The groups arrived and departed throughout the day, and the students cheered endlessly, even applauding the staff who entered and exited the nunciature. Pope Francis’ arrivals and departures elicited squeals of delight, and his love for the children was evident. It was especially touching to see Cardinal Donald Wuerl spend time with the students, blessing each one and taking a moment to talk to them after the pope stepped back inside.

While in New York City, I attended the Mass in Madison Square Garden. Despite the massive arena, the space was surprisingly sacred. Local priests heard confessions before Mass, and more than 400 seminarians and priests distributed Holy Communion. Before the liturgy, I met two 22-year-old seminarians from St. Joseph’s Seminary who were assigned as “Guardians of the Blessed Sacrament.” The honor of their post was written all over their faces, and they couldn’t wait to tell me that this would be their first time distributing the Eucharist. The love for their vocation was immensely touching.

In Philadelphia, as the pope’s visit wrapped up its final days, the faithful attending the Festival of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway expressed such deep devotion to Pope Francis and their faith. Some waited in line and along the route for more than 12 hours. Two families I spoke with couldn’t have been more diverse, yet they were united in their Catholic faith. Attendees from the Diocese of Pittsburgh who frantically waved their “Faithful Towels” become fast friends with a group of pilgrims from the Dominican Republic. The love for each other demonstrated by the people and their enthusiasm and endless energy was contagious. The crowd was tireless as the cameras frequently panned their turf. It was hard to believe that they still had strength to cheer for the pope’s arrival and stay to hear his speech and the amazing line-up of performers.

It is fitting the papal visit culminated in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love; the perfect capstone on a week that included tens of thousands of pilgrims united in their Catholic faith.

At the festival, Pope Francis set aside his prepared remarks and spoke from the heart: “All that is good, all that is true, all that is beautiful brings us to God. Because God is good, God is beautiful, God is the truth.” 

Among my lasting memories will be the pope’s constant request that we pray for him. Along with that intention, I pray that we can continue to shine in the afterglow of his visit and remember the beauty of love for our brothers and sisters for that will surely bring us closer to God and one another.