A day or two before Pope Benedict XVI was to arrive in New York City excitement was rising throughout the city. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the Holy Father as he traveled up the avenue, I planned to find a spot north of St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue on Saturday. At the time, I couldn’t have imagined that I would be granted the grace of seeing the Holy Father from the area immediately surrounding St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

When I received an e-mail telling me that there would be special devotions on Friday evening at the beautiful French Gothic church of St. Jean Baptiste on Lexington Avenue, the adventure appealed to me – especially when I found out that the evening would culminate in a procession to the residence where the Holy Father was staying, or as near to it as security would allow the public to approach. So on Friday evening I headed into Manhattan from Jersey City and made my way to the Upper East Side.

When I arrived at St. Jean Baptiste, the Holy Hour already had begun. I proceeded to one of two confession lines. When I exited the confessional, Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament had begun and the congregation was singing Tantum Ergo. I enthusiastically joined in the singing and received the blessing. A few announcements were made and then the candlelight procession began. Candles were distributed as we left church. We walked down Lexington Avenue to 72nd Street and then turned westward on 72nd Street toward Madison Avenue.

We were not the first to arrive at the intersection of 72nd Street and Madison Avenue. The security forces were not permitting the public to enter the block between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue on 72nd Street where the Holy See’s residence for its U.N. Mission is located. The eastern corners of the intersection were becoming crowded, as newly arriving faithful wanted to get closer to Madison Avenue.

A Franciscan Friar of the Renewal began to distribute tickets for people to stand in the area immediately outside of St. Patrick’s Cathedral during the Mass to be held there the next day. I providentially obtained a ticket. After reading on the back of the ticket that that everyone should be in place by 7:00 a.m., and becoming increasingly jostled by the crowd, I decided to depart the prayer vigil. I knew the probability that Benedict would make an appearance Friday evening was virtually zero. Plus I was on the same side of 72nd Street as the Holy See’s residence, so even if he looked out a window, I wouldn’t have been able to see it from where I was.

I did not get much sleep that night: I planned to arrive at Rockefeller Center by 5:00 a.m. and needed to figure out what I would be bringing with me - camera, cell phone, etc. - and how I would carry it all. The back of the ticket also said that bags would not be permitted. However, I asked a policeman on my way home what exactly that meant. He told me that a small bag or purse would be searched. OK, that I can deal with. I departed from home around 4:00 am, parked my car near the Grove St. PATH station in Jersey City and took the PATH train to 33rd Street. I was not expecting anyone else to be on the train at that time of day. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people on the PATH around 4:15 am on a Saturday morning and many of them seemed to be on their way to work. From 33rd Street I took a subway to the western side of Rockefeller Center (6th Ave).

I proceeded to walk over to 5th Avenue, only to be told that the queues for the security checkpoint were forming on 6th Avenue. So, I walked back to 6th Avenue and to the end of the line that was forming north of 51st Street. I didn’t count the number of people in front of me, but I would estimate there were around 25 to 30 people ahead of me in that line. I don’t know when they arrived, but they had initially been told that we would be checked into the secure area beginning at 5:00 a.m. That time came and passed. Then we were told 6:00 a.m., which also came and passed. They finally started to check us in at approximately 7:15 a.m. So much for getting there early and wanting everyone in place by 7:00 a.m. The security checkpoint entailed placing one’s bags on a table, walking through a metal detector doorway and then having a security or police officer wave a wand near your body and turning around so he could do the same on the other side.

After all that, I was able to gather my bag and proceed to find a good spot along the barricade. Getting to the final area was much more of a cattle call at this point due to it being much later and many more having gathered. There was very little reward for those who deliberately arrived early. Having said that, I was able to claim a place right along the barricade on Fifth Avenue near 51st Street - diagonally across the intersection from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. There was a similar barricade “pen” across Fifth Avenue, but that one didn’t have anyone in it until the one I was in filled up.

From my vantage point, I could see one large video screen with large speakers to my right. It was set up on the north end of the block on the west side of Fifth Avenue between 50th St. and 51st St. and directly across from the cathedral. There was also a large press area in the middle of that block. I didn’t notice exactly when the video screen was turned on to show what was happening inside the cathedral, but before the Pope arrived, one could watch the preparations for the Mass. The Holy Father arrived in a limousine, which brought him to the front of the cathedral. When he exited the vehicle there was an explosion of cheers for him. Although, I had a good view of the cathedral and the streets in that area were closed, there were so many security personnel literally on Fifth Avenue, that I couldn’t see him at all. I had a better view of the event watching the video screen. Those large speakers by the screen were not turned up loud enough for most of us to hear well. At least twice we asked the policemen near us to turn up the volume. One of them told us that they (the police) had nothing to do with the sound system.

So, although we could understand some of what was said during the Mass, certainly enough to assist at Mass, whenever someone spoke for an extended time, such as greetings or Benedict XVI’s sermon, we could not understand what was said. I did not know if Holy Communion would be distributed to those of us immediately outside the cathedral. It was not. I guess the last-minute decision to provide access for people with tickets to the immediate environs of the cathedral was more for the Pope’s trip up Fifth Avenue than having those faithful participate in the Mass.

After the Mass ended, an announcement was made that Benedict XVI would be having lunch at the Cardinal’s residence, which is adjacent to the cathedral, and then traveling up Fifth Avenue some time after 1:00 p.m. We were told that we could leave the ticketed area to get some food or drink, go to the bathroom, etc. and return. After spending quite a few hours in my spot along the barricade, I was not about to give it up and neither were some of the folk to my right or left. Most of the people behind us cleared out and the sun finally came out from behind the skyscrapers to where we were standing. The warmth of the sunlight felt good. Although the temperature had not been cold, there was a steady wind that made it feel much cooler.

After much waiting, the moment finally arrived. The Cardinal’s residence is on Madison Avenue. The Holy Father boarded the popemobile inside a tent that had been assembled outside the entrance of the residence. He then traveled down Madison Avenue to 49th Street (a block or so), turned westward on 49th Street to Fifth Avenue and then turned northward on Fifth Avenue. Before one could see him, one could hear the enthusiastic cheers of joy that accompanied him wherever he went. I had brought my camera and tried to capture some photographs of the experience. I had planned to try to take a photo of him as he approached and then to put my camera down and simply watch him and take in the experience. As the Holy Father was approaching, there was a large, black SUV in front of and to the left of the popemobile. That placed it directly in my line of sight. Then after that moved out of my line of sight, at least two security guards walked right in front of me as I was trying to take a picture. I didn’t know at the time if the picture would come out at all or if the guards had completely blocked the view of Benedict XVI.

Then I put down my camera and just watched him as he approached, I saw his loving and warm smile as he looked in my direction and waved. I’m sure he was scanning the crowd, but for a brief moment it seemed to me that he was looking right at me. I was very moved and thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to encounter the Vicar of Christ. After Benedict XVI had passed, the crowd began to disperse. A lady, who had been standing next to me with whom I had been conversing, and I wanted to enter the cathedral to pray, but upon arriving at the cathedral door we were told that it wouldn’t be open to the public until 4:00 p.m. Given the many hours we had already spent on our feet waiting, we both decided not to wait another couple of hours to enter the cathedral.

At that point I decided to head back home. I had not eaten anything all day since I had fasted for the possibility of receiving Holy Communion. That combined with the lack of sleep the night before and the many hours standing was beginning to take its toll on me. After I arrived home and relaxed a little, I was overwhelmed with emotion from the entire experience. I wasn’t sure if it was joy or sadness. I think it was some of both including the sheer joy of seeing the Vicar of Christ in person. I will forever cherish in my memory this day and the image of his beautiful smile.

I am very grateful to God for all of the graces He poured upon me that Friday and Saturday. Deo gratias.

I am also grateful to Pope Benedict XVI for visiting America. Vivat Benedictus XVI! Ad multos annos!

Here are some of the photos that I took: