-By Roman & Kay Krupp, Dan & Lisa(Krupp)(accompanied by 3 month old Bryn) and Lasia Kowalski
We left at 6:15am Friday morning from Cathedral Square along with 160 other pilgrims, filling three busses. We arrived at our destination, a conference center in Valley Forge, PA late that night, around 11pm, where we would spend our nights. We were still approximately 1 hour from our final destination of downtown Philadelphia. Saturday morning, we boarded the buses and headed into Philly. Riding the subway through the city was quite an experience in itself. When we arrived, we passed through security and found our place along the parade route, hoping to get a glimpse of Pope Francis later that day. We waited approximately 7 hours camped out along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, taking turns meandering for food & bathrooms. During our wait, we enjoyed visiting with the other pilgrims around us, Philly steak sandwiches, and visiting with the police officers who were on duty securing the parade route. Philadelphia lived up to its name of the City of Brotherly Love as we were treated very kindly by everyone.
Around 7pm, we heard the excitement build like a tidal wave coming our way. Finally the motorcade began to appear, followed by Pope Francis; it was nearly unbelievable. When we started out on this pilgrimage, we never imagined we’d be able to see him, but at that moment he was passing right in front of us. What a gift and very special Holy Spirit moment!!!!
We returned to the bus that night, sharing our own unique experiences and abundant joy with our fellow travelers.
The next day, we got up and boarded the buses again to head back into Philly for the Papal Mass. We tried to get through security in order to be present for the celebration of Mass in the designated downtown area, but the line of people was unbelievably long – we couldn’t see the end of it. It was literally a sea of humanity! Instead of pursuing the line, we found a preferred place on the street in front of a large screen and waited for the Papal Mass to begin. Mass was wonderful, and even though we were among immense crowds, you could have heard a pin drop during the consecration. It was so special to celebrate with thousands of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the streets of Philadelphia!
We departed at 10:20pm that night and arrived home at 1:15pm Monday afternoon. The experience was exhausting, yet beautiful and truly memorable!
Thank you to the Diocese for making this once-in-lifetime sort of trip possible!
