Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Students gear up for papal visit
Students gear up for papal visit
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published April 11, 2008
Detroit — You can't wrap an hour of community service, but that didn't stop young people all over the country from pledging more than 500,000 hours of community service in honor of Pope Benedict XVI's birthday April 16, which occurs during his visit to the U.S.
And for those from the area who are able to attend a scheduled youth rally or Mass at Yankee Stadium, there's a lot of excitement not only to see the pope, but also to be involved in such a large, faith-filled gathering of people.
About 650 students at Notre Dame Preparatory Academy in Pontiac — not far from where Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at the Pontiac Silverdome during his 1987 visit — committed 10,000 hours of community service time in honor of Pope Benedict's birthday. Students fulfilled their service hours abroad in Egypt, Guatemala, Mongolia, Mexico, Tanzania, Africa and Costa Rica, or stateside in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Pontiac.
Some students roofed and repaired houses; some purchased books, clothing, and school supplies for an orphanage and a school for the deaf; some assisted doctors and dentists; some mentored students; and some brought God's Word to children and adults. The project is part of a national effort by Catholic schools, colleges, parish religious-education programs and seminaries, Birthday Blessings for Pope Benedict XVI: A Gift of Public Service from U.S. Catholic Youth and Students.
As of March 31, NCEA had commitments from three other archdiocesan schools; Shrine Catholic Grade School, Royal Oak had pledged 17 hours; St. Mary Catholic School, Monroe 1,369 hours; and Bishop Foley High School, Madison Heights 1,392 hours.
"We are very pleased that our students chose to honor Pope Benedict in such a wonderful way," said Fr. Leon Olszamowski, president of Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy. "I can't imagine a more appropriate gift for the Holy Father, who has been consistent in his call to minister to the less fortunate among us."
A DVD chronicling the students' ministry of service was created and sent by Notre Dame Prep to NCEA offices in Washington, D.C., and will be part of a special gift basket to be presented to the pope on the day of his birthday. Vickie Beck and two others from St. Constance Parish, Taylor, Pat Holland and Pat Vomsteez, are heading to New York Thursday to attend Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict at Yankee Stadium April 20. She's not only excited to be seeing the pope, she said, but also to be around other people who are as excited to see him.
"I think it says a lot about the Catholic faith — that he is such a public figure," she said. "I'm sure it's going to be very crowded there."
Beck, St. Constance's pastoral minister, said she'd like to make a few side trips, such as to a Broadway play or to the Ground Zero memorial, but the Mass is clearly the trip's highlight and purpose. She didn't attend any of the papal events with Pope John Paul visited, but did see him in Rome, while he was traveling in his popemobile. She remembers the many people there and how he prayed in different languages so everyone could understand.
"So many people want to come," she said of the New York and D.C. visit. "I'm looking forward to it."
A contingent from St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Livonia, is also heading out to New York to attend the rally/prayer service for youth and seminarians at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, north of New York City, Saturday, April 19. Several thousand young people, including hundreds of seminarians, are expected to attend — but St. Michael youth are still excited to see the pope in a smaller venue than Yankee Stadium, said St. Michael youth minister Bernadette Menard.
The group, which includes four high school students, Menard, Sr. Felicity Madigan, CSSF, and seminarian Brian Buckley — assigned as an intern to the parish and who works with the youth group — are leaving Thursday, sightseeing and attending Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral Friday, and then attending the Saturday rally. They're traveling with youth groups from three other parishes, St. Genevieve, Livonia, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth, and St. John Neumann, Canton.
Menard said not only are the youths excited to see the pope, but they're looking forward to a full day of activities, such as a performance by Kelly Clarkson of "American Idol" fame, who will entertain the young people before the rally. They'll head home Sunday.
Although the chaperones are also excited for the trip, Menard said she hopes it's a life-changing experience for the youths, and that it helps them stay tied to the Church as they go off to college in the coming years. When the students attend other youth events, such as March for Life, they enjoy seeing other people their age involved in the Church, she said.
"It's great for our kids to see other people their age participating in their faith," she said. "I'm looking forward to sharing the experience with the kids. I'm looking forward to what I think it will do for the kids spiritually."
On Thursday, April 17, the pope will addresses the heads of more than 200 U.S. Catholic colleges and universities at The Catholic University of America in Northeast Washington. Among the educators attending is the Archdiocese of Detroit's Sr. Frances Nadolny, director of the Department of Education.
For those without tickets to papal events but who have a computer, several Web sites will be keeping visitors updated to the pope's goings-on. The site www.papaltrip.com is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and details Pope Benedict's travels and message; the site www.pope2008.typepad.com presents in constantly updating blog fashion information about the papal visit; there's also a link to submit prayer intentions to His Holiness.
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