Parishioners recall memories of pope

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
April 7, 2005

Parishioners of the Diocese of Sioux City have had the opportunity to be in the presence of Pope John Paul II throughout his years of service to the Catholic Church.

Some have experienced him in the United States and others have seen him at the Vatican. Now that the pope has died, they remember the times they were able to see him.

Margie Lancaster of Anthon, a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Church in Sioux City, has seen the Holy Father five times - Denver, St. Louis, Toronto and twice in Rome. Once was in the jubilee year and then again last fall as part of a pilgrimage hosted by Father David Hemann.

"The comfort that I get from his passing is in knowing that we will have another saint - a great saint - in heaven to intercede for us," she said. "It's been very sad for me. I was 16 when he became pope, so my entire adult life has been following his teachings, following his travel."

When the Holy Father came into the hall for the audience last fall, Lancaster said, "You knew you were in the presence of a saint. You could feel the Holy Spirit very strongly. You felt his love. He was pure love."

She recalled how when watching television coverage of the pope's election back in 1978, she began to cry because he appeared the true persona of Christ - pure love. All of his teachings, Lancaster added, are all based on love.

Helen Carpenter, parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish in Boone, has had the opportunity to see the pope three different times, once in the United States and twice while in Rome.

When Pope John Paul II visited Living History Farms Des Moines in 1979, Carpenter and her four children were able to make the trip to see him. They parked in a farm field about three miles from where the pope would be. Their first view of him was before he exited the helicopter.

"It was so exciting. It gave me goose bumps," said Carpenter. The pope blessed all the rosaries and other religious items that the people had with them. "He was such a wonderful, holy man. His presence just made you feel good."

In 2000, Carpenter's youngest son, Wayne, took her to Rome during the jubilee year for her birthday. They spent a week there and were able to experience a beatification ceremony and Mass. She noted that when the pope came out the people cheered and cried.

"You could just feel the presence of his holiness," said Carpenter. "Everybody was so reverent."

The two also had green tickets to a papal visit at the Vatican. They were seated about four rows back and took several pictures. The pope came out and blessed the crowd.

"I was so honored and humbled to be there. It was just something that I can't describe. It was wonderful," said Carpenter. "I will never forget it. He was a wonderful, extraordinary, holy man. You could just feel holiness in his presence and all through the Vatican."

Mike Stover, a deacon candidate who is a parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in Ida Grove, pointed out that he saw the pope twice in Rome, in 1997 and in 2004. The later trip was also part of the pilgrimage hosted by Father Hemann.

"As we went to the square, to wait for his arrival there was such a rush," noted Stover.

While he had the chance to see the pope twice, he said for many it is a once in a lifetime event.

"When he was coming in and I was thinking that I wouldn't get close enough to actually see him, I didn't realize that he went around in a cart within the crowd. He came within 15 feet of us. To see him go by, filled you with so much joy," said Stover of his first trip to Rome.

The second time, he saw the pope was in the hall.

Seeing the decline in the pope's health saddened Stover somewhat, but he still found it a joy to hear the Holy Father speak.

"When he gave the blessing in the end, you felt filled with the Holy Spirit," he said. "My wife and I are thankful that we had the opportunity see the Holy Father twice."

To see such humility in the pope has always impressed Stover.

"He was our shepherd, but he was so pastoral - such a servant to the church. If I can be just 10 percent of what he was when I become a deacon that would be an accomplishment," he said.

Shirley Webb, a parishioner at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Moorland, also had the opportunity to see the pope twice. She made the trip to Des Moines with her husband, Ron, and mother, the late Agnes Bender. Three of her four children went to Des Moines on busses with other Catholic school students from Fort Dodge. Their fourth son was in college at the time.

Having heard there would be a massive crowd, they left early in the morning and were able to park at a niece's house.

"It was very cold that morning and still dark, but we wanted to get as close as we could," recalled Webb. "We were among some of the first folks to arrive. We were seated on the ground on blankets, but were not very far back."

She described there be droves of people.

"It was a cold, dreary day but after he landed, the sun came out and it was like the cold weather changed. It gave you goosebumps," she said.

In Denver, again there was a massive crowd. That time they were not up front but could see the activity on large screens.

"We were way far back. We could see, but it was at a distance. The closeness wasn't there like it was in Des Moines," said Webb.

She will always remember Pope John Paul II for being a holy, blessed man. She liked the fact that he always seemed so down to earth, like a kind priest.

"There was such a warmth about him," said Webb.

A senior at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Megan Warns, was able to have a private audience with Pope John Paul II, while she and her fiance were at the Vatican in November 2004.

"I felt very blessed to be able to meet him. His presence spoke so much to me," said Warns.

Her group went into the room and each person was able to go before the pope, kneel before him, kiss his ring and talk to him. She noted that when she was given the opportunity to speak to him, she was in such awe that she could not find the words to talk. The pope also blessed each person as they came up to him.

"Now that he has passed away, it is an even more special memory," said Warns. "I am saddened by the loss of such a great leader for our church and our world. I think it is also a blessing that he has gone on to even greater things."

Sam Hacker, youth minister at Immaculate Conception Parish in Sioux City, took four teenagers to World Youth Day in Denver to see the Holy Father.

"It was the most moving experience to be where he was and to see how he related to the young people, how they related to him and the love that just radiated back and forth," said Hacker. "The spirituality that came from him radiated to these young people and even to me. I would have to say it was the most moving experience that I have had in my entire life."

At the time of the pope's death, Hacker noted that "it was like losing a member of my family. I feel like we have lost one of the best pope's that we have ever had. He was a man of great love, great humility, so peace loving and giving."