About 50 students from St. Thomas’ and St. Catherine’s campus ministry groups will embark Thursday on a pilgrimage to Philadelphia for Pope Francis’ first visit to America.
Brooke Harding, Campus Ministry’s coordinator of peer ministry and communications, will join the students on the trip. Harding looks forward to the students having the opportunity to be in the Pope’s presence.
“I’m just excited that he’s here. I think it’s an anointing on our country; it’s an anointing on the Church here in America,” Harding said. “We’re really blessed to be a part of it and to be traveling with all of these pilgrims.”
The group will arrive in Philadelphia on Friday night after a 21-hour bus ride. Students will attend one of two papal audiences on Saturday and the papal mass on Sunday.
Junior Emily Heimel is one of the St. Thomas students who will attend and is excited to share the experience with like-minded people.
“When I was in 8th grade my family decided to take a trip to Washington D.C. to see Pope Benedict when he came, and it was an absolutely life-changing experience. It was so inspiring to see Catholics from all around the U.S. and all around the world come together and be united,” Heimel said. “I’m most looking forward to that again… sharing our Catholicism and celebrating our faith together.”
Traveling to see the pope is a first for St. Thomas junior Madeline Shogren. She is eagerly anticipating hearing Pope Francis speak on the theme of families and thinks he does a great job connecting with younger generations.
“I feel like Pope Francis is more… active in a way of reaching out and being an example of a person who demonstrates charity and humility. I feel like he’s more relatable,” Shogren said. “He’s more radical than the other popes, and I think he really gets to young people through what he does that way.”
Harding also believes Pope Francis has a relatable quality that is welcoming and “approachable in his message of His love and His joy.”
“I think that what our Holy Father is doing and what Holy Fathers have done in the past… is communicated to the young people of the world that ‘this is relevant to you.’
“You’re important to the church– your work is important to the church, and you will have an impact on this world,” Harding said.
St. Thomas will be present during Pope Francis’ visit in other ways as well. The papal Mass on Sunday will feature a song written by St. Thomas Artist in Residence Rev. Jan Michael Joncas. Theology professors Angela Senander and Massimo Faggioli will also provide media coverage for the event.
Margaret Galush can be reached at galu4637@stthomas.edu.