With the election of Pope Francis, St. Joe’s had even more of a reason to celebrate Catholic faith and tradition than we already had. He’s benevolent and in-touch with reality. Regardless of each individual’s religious views, everyone can admire and respect his compassion. This week we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Papal visit to campus, and we owe a lot to him, not only for blessing our statue and strengthening our beliefs, but also for gifting us with an amazing experience and making even more of a family out of the Hawks.
On the first day, we sat shoulder-to-shoulder for hours on City Ave just to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis. There were cops lining the streets, cones blocking our paths, and traffic piling up. We were told to move back, stay sitting and calm down. There were officers with guns and the almighty Public Safety on bikes just doing their thing. It sounds like a big hassle, but not for us. Not for our student body. We could walk a few minutes and plop down on a street curb right beside campus next to thousands of other Hawks who spotted the street with crimson and grey: the colors of St. Joe’s pride. We even got the infamous “Pope-mobile”, and if you blinked you could’ve missed the magical second. But with all the fuss aside, we were so lucky to be sitting there in that moment together.
The next day was bizarre. For me, it started when the lady at the front desk of my residence hall wouldn’t let any outsiders in. Then people started lining up in front of the mysterious statue in the center of campus that was only uncovered a few days prior. Eventually the spot became the watering hole for Public Safety, local police, and security. St. Joe’s students flocked to the statue to set up camp. The rumors were true, and we knew Pope Francis himself would be arriving any minute or in hours. Of course, it took hours. We were sweaty and cramped and literally butthurt but so beyond belief and excitment. The worst part of the day was when safety enforcers brought in the fences and everyone who was once up close and personal got sent to fend for themselves in the way back (which was the predicament I found myself in). Some students, however, remained just feet from where the Pope stood. Then he arrived. First there were motorcycles and even more officers. Then through the crack of a window in one of the multitude of fancy cars, we could see a hand waving and a cross. From that moment on, we were bent over one another just trying to get a better look. Thousands of pictures were snapped. Thousands of excited screams were heard throughout the campus. If you were one of the lucky ones who got to watch, you seriously couldn’t stop smiling. It was amazing. The Pope made time in his agenda in order to bless our statue, school, and us.
Probably about fifteen short minutes later, the deed was done. Pope Francis was tucked neatly away in his fancy car surrounded by layers and layers of officers and motorcyclists. He was off to Center City to complete his duties in Philadelphia. So while Villanova may have a basketball championship under their belts, we have the phenomenon of a holy visit. Pope Francis blesses SJU: that’s what you read in national headlines. What you don’t read in the headlines is how he changed all of us.
We have selfies with a blurry Pope driving passed us in the background and our Instagrams from last September to prove our experience to the world; however, the silver lining is much stronger than that. Our values of pride and community have drastically increased. When I walk near a Hawk Host giving a tour, I can’t help but to listen. I’ve heard things like, “here we have our famous Hawk sauce and no one really knows what it is, but it’s super good” or “Barbelin is like a scene from Harry Potter”. Pay attention next time a tour is near the statue, though. You’ll hear the tour guide describe his or her experience and brag about all of its awesomeness. Then families will take pictures and touch the statue. Every one of us have felt a sense of accomplishment seeing other people excited about the holy visit. Even simply bragging about the Pope visiting us or sending relatives pictures from that day. It’s a great feeling, and I was/still am so proud of our school. To this very day, we post one-year anniversary pictures on social media for all to see and admire, because it’s an event we can all genuinely celebrate together.
Pope Francis was also very lucky. He had the privilege of coming to a school with such respectable values. We’re heavily into community and social justice at St. Joe’s. We’re strong believers in giving back which unites us and intensifies the bond of our student body. I’ve gained so much love and gratitude over the past year – more than I thought was possible. So thank you, Pope Francis. I’ve heard that if “you’re one of the lucky ones”, you’ll get a wave from the Pope in the window of the Vatican. Well maybe if you’re really lucky, you just so happen to be a Hawk.
HCXO,
Corinne