On Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015 a group of ten students, led by Campus Minister Michelle Sullivan, joined thousands of other faithful people in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to see Pope Francis preside Mass. Once they arrived in the city, the students’ journey began as they walked about five miles to the Ben Franklin Parkway, where the mass was being held.

The individuals in the crowd each had different reasons for traveling far and wide to see Pope Francis. “I wanted to go because not only is it a once in a lifetime opportunity, but because I like how Pope Francis has a positive message for the youth, and I thought it would be amazing to hear that message in person,” junior Anna Smith said.

Due to the number of people in line for security, the group was not able to actually attend Mass. Nonetheless, they continued to look for a security checkpoint. As the start of the Mass came closer, the students and chaperones decided it would be best to find a decent spot at the jumbotron instead.

Finding a jumbotron with which to comfortably view the mass was a challenge in itself for the students. As they continued walking through the barricaded streets of Philadelphia, the group eventually found a jumbotron where they could see well enough. As time drew nearer to mass, more and more people filed in behind until the street was filled with a couple hundred people.

“When we were standing on the corner of 16th and JFK boulevard, I was really struck by not only the number of people that had gathered, but the different languages that were being spoken, and the different experiences that had brought everyone together at that corner, in that moment in time,” Sullivan said.

The mass was presided in a variety of languages including Spanish, Chinese, and English in order to accommodate the diverse crowd. The mass had a large choir and the people in the crowd did not hesitate to sing along. “I loved hearing the communion hymns and hearing the people singing them in the crowd,” junior Emma Gromacki said.

Those who attended the mass had nothing but good words about the pope. “He’s really revolutionary. He’s stretching the traditional Catholic Church,” Gromacki said.

Other members of the group echoed the enthusiasm. “Pope Francis has this ability to bring people together by reminding us that we are more similar than we are different. He always points us to Jesus,” Sullivan said.

According to Sullivan, although it was a long day, it was spiritual and rewarding as well. Everyone was exhausted after walking a total of about twelve miles as they finally returned to the bus. Pope Francis affected thousands of people in the streets of Philadelphia, ten of which were students who intend to bring his peace and wisdom back to the JC community.

Katie Sullivan is an In-Focus Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.