Some of the Augustinian Recollects were blessed with an opportunity to see the Pope during his April 15-20 visit to Washington D.C. and New York City. He had come to the United States of America to celebrate with us the bicentennial of the establishment of the Dioceses (now Archdioceses) of Louisville, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, and the raising to Archdiocesan status of the Diocese of Baltimore, the first Catholic diocese in the United States. On Saturday morning April 19th the Holy Father celebrated Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the heart of Manhattan. Nearly 2,500 people, primarily cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, and religious, filled the neo-Gothic cathedral.  The grey stone vaults, the sunlight streaming into the dark interior of the church through the stained glass windows, the sea of white chasubles, the smell of incense, and resounding anthems and soft Gregorian chant brought to mind the mighty throng of faithful that in the Book of Revelation assembled before the throne of the lamb.

This morning, representing all the dioceses of the U.S., they had assembled to celebrate the Eucharist, and now anxiously awaited the arrival of the Pope at 9:15 AM. When Pope Benedict appeared at the main doors all turned and applauded thunderously, as they would several times during the liturgy. Cardinal Egan (Archbishop of New York), Cardinal Mahoney (Archbishop of Los Angeles) as well as Bishop David Arias, Fr. Francisco Legarra and other Augustinian Recollects from St. Nicholas Province and Fr. Frank Wilder from St. Augustine Province were among the thousands of concelebrants.  Also among the concelebrants were the priests from Sacred Heart Church in Suffern, New York and Fr. Brian Coffey, MHM.  He and Fr. Wilder are chaplains at Good Samaritan Hospital located across the street from Tagaste Monastery.

During his homily the Holy Father, himself a great admirer of St. Augustine, commented on an area the members of St. Augustine Province have been working on for the last few years, that of building unity within our province.  Addressing the diverse language and cultural groups that form the Catholic Church in the U.S. and which were represented by the mosaic of faces, ages and backgrounds assembled, the Pope said:

“For all of us, I think, one of the great disappointments which followed the Second Vatican Council, with its call for a greater engagement in the Church’s mission to the world, has been the experience of division between different groups, different generations, different members of the same religious family. We can only move forward if we turn our gaze together to Christ! In the light of faith, we will then discover the wisdom and strength needed to open ourselves to points of view which may not necessarily conform to our own ideas or assumptions. Thus we can value the perspectives of others, be they younger or older than ourselves, and ultimately hear ‘what the Spirit is saying’ to us and to the Church (cf. Rev 2:7). In this way, we will move together towards that true spiritual renewal desired by the Council, a renewal which can only strengthen the Church in that holiness and unity indispensable for the effective proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world.”

He ended his homily alluding to the words engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor:  “Dear brothers and sisters, in the finest traditions of the Church in this country, may you also be the first friend of the poor, the homeless, the stranger, the sick and all who suffer. Act as beacons of hope, casting the light of Christ upon the world, encouraging young people to discover the beauty of a life given completely to the Lord and his Church.”  He then raised his soft voice to the loudest and most emphatic tone of his entire homily to make with sincere conviction a point especially pertinent to our vocation year: “I make this plea in a particular way to the many seminarians and young religious present. All of you have a special place in my heart. Never forget that you are called to carry on, with all the enthusiasm and joy that the Spirit has given you, a work that others have begun, a legacy that one day you too will have to pass on to a new generation. Work generously and joyfully, for he whom you serve is the Lord!”

And here he concluded his homily by returning to the image of a Gothic cathedral’s architecture, the image he had used earlier in the sermon: “The spires of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis, they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God. As we celebrate this Eucharist, let us thank the Lord for allowing us to know him in the communion of the Church, to cooperate in building up his Mystical Body, and in bringing his saving word as good news to the men and women of our time. And when we leave this great church, let us go forth as heralds of hope in the midst of this city, and all those places where God’s grace has placed us. In this way, the Church in America will know a new springtime in the Spirit, and point the way to that other, greater city, the new Jerusalem, whose light is the Lamb (Rev 21:23). For there God is even now preparing for all people a banquet of unending joy and life. Amen.”

For this writer the experience of this particular celebration of the Eucharist celebrated in such extraordinary beauty in such memorable circumstances incarnated in an especially patent way the presence of Christ in his Church.  Over the hushed voices of the sea of concelebrants the Pope’s soft voice, the voice of a shepherd, a father and Christ’s Vicar, could be heard repeating the words of his Lord:  “This is my body…This is my blood.”  The universality, the agelessness, the solidity, the beauty and the truth of Christ’s Church were seen, heard, smelled and touched in a way I had never experienced before.  This writer and many others, those present as well as those watching through the media would agree that there were many, many things about this Mass that touched them in a very special way.  But, then again, if we were to describe all these things and all the awe inspiring experiences of all the people who were blessed in extraordinary ways by Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to our country we would never finish!

Fr. Frank Wilder, OAR

Let me share with you an unforgettable experience.  My alarm clock woke me up at 5:30 AM on Saturday, April 19; it seemed like just another ordinary day. However, it turned out to be like no other day I can remember. It was the long-awaited day when I was to meet Pope Benedict XVI at St. Joseph Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers, New York. Fra. Eduardo Rodriguez and I drove from Tagaste Monastery in Suffern to Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, New Jersey where we both attend classes. We joined the diocesan seminarians for Mass at 6:45 AM. After Mass, we all had a continental breakfast. While we were enjoying breakfast, Msgr. Thomas Nydegger, dean of students at the seminary, handed everyone a ten-dollar bill and our ticket to see the Pope.

Once we had finished breakfast, everyone headed outside where two buses were waiting for us. We traveled from Seton Hall University to the parking lot at Yonkers Raceway. For the most part, the trip was relaxing and quiet. When we got off the bus, we formed a line and waited a bit to get on a school bus, which would take us to St. Joseph’s Seminary. When we arrived it was necessary to go through a security check point. Because we arrived early, there were not that many people yet; the check was quick and without any complications. As soon as we passed security, there was a crew of people handing out plastic bags, which contained a bottle of water, a voucher for food, a program, a white or yellow handkerchief, vocation flyers, and a raincoat poncho. There were not reserved places for anybody, except for a small section for seminarians up front on the left hand side of the stage. Everyone else settled on the grounds of the seminary’s field on a first come first serve basis.
 
It was about 10:00 AM and the Holy Father was not due to arrive until 5:00 PM. When he arrived, he would meet with young Catholics, including some youngsters with disabilities, and thousands of young people, including hundreds of seminarians who were gathered for the occasion. The positive mood of the crowd was very uplifting and contagious; there was a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Many were singing and entertaining themselves in order to make the long wait for the pope more agreeable. In the meantime, there were stands serving hamburgers, hotdogs, French fries, chicken nuggets, water, and cookies. You could either buy food or use your voucher.

From about 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM everyone was delighted by outstanding performers that ranged from humble local school choirs, dance groups, and bands, to nationally known performers such as Kelly Clarkson. After the Pope met with those young persons with disabilities in the seminary chapel, he traveled to the rally stage by Pope-mobile. The Holy Father past seminarians, religious men and women, and others who were in the front row, and greeted them.  The Pope also met some youth who presented him with gifts of the Earth: maize, bread, rice, and beans that represented the cultural diversity of the Catholic Church in the United States. In addition, he received a book entitled Empire State Catholics: A History of the Catholic Community in New York State, and images of six holy individuals who lived or served in New York: Saints Elizabeth Ann Seton, Francis Xavier Cabrini, and John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Padre Felix Varela.

Following the offering of gifts to the Pope, the youth started to sing “Happy Birthday” in German as well as other songs. The Holy Father gave a lengthy address stressing the importance of living out Christian values in today’s society. He exhorted us to follow the example of the saints and to commit themselves to personal prayer and works of charity. Then he addressed special words to the seminarians and to the religious men and women present. Finally he gave a brief summary of his address in Spanish. After the address, all sang the Litany of the Saints and the Lord’s Prayer. Following the Lord’s Prayer, the Pope blessed all those assembled.
 
After the Papal blessing, all of those present cheered as the ceremony concluded. Those on the stage left first and all watched as the Pope left the grounds of the seminary via the Pope-mobile. After the Pope had gone, all the people headed to the exit as well. As usual, the gates were too small, with everyone trying to get out at the same time. Once Fra. Eduardo and I were out of the security area we headed for the Raceway parking lot, which was about a mile away from the seminary. We got on the bus, waited for all the seminarians to arrive, and then drove back to Immaculate Conception Seminary. Truly the Pope’s Apostolic Visit to the United States was a moment of grace, and a time to receive faith and hope. It has inspired us all. Indeed, Benedict XVI succeeded in his goal of bringing to all believers “Christ as Our Hope.”     

Dn. Juan José Guzman, OAR

I received a phone call from my sister Aracely on April 16, 2008, saying, “Sabrina just received a gold ticket in the mail for the Mass with the Pope at Yankee Stadium. Did you get one?” I was in New York at the time for our Formation Secretariat meeting at Tagaste Monastery in Suffern, so I immediately called St. Augustine Priory in Oxnard, California, where I am stationed and asked the friars to check my mail; sure enough my ticket was there. Those tickets were hard to come by, but with faith, a lot of prayers, and a cry for help to Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, OAR (whose cause for Beatification we have been promoting), we got them.

My niece Sabrina and I were blessed to have attended the Papal Mass on April 20, 2008 at Yankee Stadium. It was a memorable experience. The setting was beautiful. The atmosphere was wonderful. The concert prior to the Holy Eucharist set the stage for what was to come. We waited with excitement for the arrival of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Finally, after waiting for several hours in fifty degree weather, the stadium burst into cheers as the Pope Mobile entered the stadium. It was a joy to see so many people cheering for the Pope as he arrived. We were fortunate enough to have had Field Level Seats behind home plate. We had a good view of the Holy Father as he passed in front of us in the Pope Mobile, and later as he processed for the beginning and the end of Mass.

What I remember most about this experience was a feeling of joy from those who were present. People shared their profound happiness in being blessed to be in the presence of the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI. People cried, clapped, and smiled as an expression of this deep joy, a testament of the presence of God in our midst. I am grateful to God for giving my niece and me the opportunity of having witnessed such a joyful occasion, being in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI. It was an experience of a lifetime.