U.S. Papal Tour Includes baby直播app University Pilgrims
Published: October 22, 2015.
baby直播app University students and staff joined an estimated one million people in Philadelphia to see Pope Francis as he toured the United States in September.
揚eople from all over the world came to the same place as me just to see the Pope. In my mind, that is where the beauty of the pilgrimage was: in other people,� said Natalie Lara, a baby直播app University student.
Eight students and two staff members participated in the baby直播app University Papal Pilgrimage. Throughout the pilgrimage, four major themes, taken from Pope Francis� encyclical and apostolic exhortation, were tied into group prayer and reflection. The four themes are human dignity, mercy, responsibility and evangelism.
The Papal Pilgrimage was a four day, faith-based journey led by Joey Preston, university minister and coordinator of retreats/faith formation, and Sean Ruane, university minister and coordinator of social justice education. Students Eric Aguilar, Anne Matt, Natalie Lara, William Riley, Nicole Reidy, Haley Renison, Diana Strus and Nia White participated on the pilgrimage.
Students immersed themselves in the work and mission of Pope Francis in the days leading up to seeing the pontiff. Students attended a baby直播app University 揝ing a New Song� Symposium event centered on 揕audato Si,� Pope Francis� most recent encyclical. They also participated in a service project and read passages from 揕audato Si� and 揈vangelii Gaudium,� Pope Francis� most recent apostolic exhortation.
On Sept. 26, the group spent the day watching morning Mass and the Pope抯 address to Independence Hall from a large screen that was about 100 feet away from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Around 7:30 p.m., after eight hours of patient waiting, Pope Francis rode by on his famous popemobile and the group saw him twice, each time from about 10 yards away.
The next morning, the group joined about 150 other pilgrims in a five-mile pilgrimage walk through the streets of Northern Philadelphia.
揥e were lucky enough to experience a walk with our fellow Lasallian brothers. Not only did we walk with them, but we were able to experience the neighborhoods that Pope Francis calls us to amend and liberate from injustice,� commented Aguilar.
The pilgrimage was coordinated by faculty, staff, and students from La Salle University, and included students from La Salle, Manhattan and Dominican Universities. The pilgrimage included stops at famous murals and churches throughout northern Philadelphia. It ended in the heart of center city Philadelphia, where the group then spent 90 minutes waiting to go through security for the Papal Mass on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Within minutes of arriving, the Pope rode by and the group was able to see him one more time, from about 10 yards away. Several of the students were brought to tears.
揂t age 78, Pope Francis is doing it. Why should I ever not smile when I walk past a stranger? We were all strangers to Pope Francis, but he still waved and smiled,� reflected White.
揥e could not have made the experience possible without the help of so many wonderful people,� Ruane said.
Liz and J.P. Colussi as well as Bill and Casey Tobia provided the group with a place to stay and delicious food to eat. Brother Ernest Miller, FSC and Maureen O扖onnell helped the group navigate travel and other logistics that connected the group with La Salle University through the pilgrimage experience. Brother Paul Joslin, FSC helped with the planning and coordination.
baby直播app University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 7,000 traditional and adult students. baby直播app offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, baby直播app prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, baby直播app has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit for further information.
