Fast-forwarding  to the Mass, I was fortunate to have received a ticket in Section D. This section was standing room only, and mostly comprised of students from CUA. I arrived at the line with a group of friends for the orange gate at about 11:45, and the line moved quite fast. During the Mass, I had the opportunity to stand next to the news tower, while having a perfect view of the entire altar where Pope Francis would celebrate the Mass.

Upon Pope Francis’s arrival, there was not a quiet soul in the crowd. At first, we all were following his path via the teleprompter. Then, as if a wave carried over section D, the roar of students and faculty alike was incredible. The sheer excitement of each person was heart-warming. To have a love for such a person, and to feel the impact he has on the Catholic following, for lack of a better word, is amazing.

For me, personally, I had a hard time preparing for the Pope’s arrival. The set-up, standards, and protocol that needed to be met somewhat distracted me during the days and hours leading up to Pope Francis’s arrival. I don’t think it truly reached me until I saw him for myself. The real impact hit when he began the Mass, uttering the first blessing. Pope Francis began the first blessing and once he spoke “and through the Holy Spirit,” my friends and I felt the rush of the wind consume the audience. It had been stagnant with only small gusts of wind earlier that day. I truly felt like the presence of the Holy Spirit was with all of us.

I think that the presence of the Holy Father is still affecting each and every person on this campus. To have been able to experience such an amazing opportunity, a man who has had such an influence on the Catholic following – especially the younger generations – is something I will really value. Thinking back now, the entire experience seems like a blink of an eye, and to be honest, unreal. The strength in his homily reminds me to “keep moving forward.” This past year has personally been difficult. I have been given some hard obstacles that have not been physically easy on me or my family. Pope Francis reminds all of us to joy in our lives, and keep moving forward.

– Claudia Seckinger is a junior at The Catholic University of America majoring in psychology.

I was lucky enough to study abroad in Rome last semester so it was not my first time seeing the Pope this year, but there is definitely something special about seeing Pope Francis on our campus. I am from 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia so I knew that there were plans for him to go there. I was in Rome when the announcement that he was coming to CUA happened, and I remember being excited that a connection I had to my semester abroad was continuing into my next year back at CUA. I had the opportunity to help with a lot of the volunteer planning process, and it was a very satisfying feeling to see all of our hard work pay off and the entire day go smoothly. Seeing Pope Francis in the Popemobile right in front of me at CUA brought it full circle, and brought together all the experiences I have had over this past year and brought a smile to my face. It was truly something I will never forget.

I saw the Popemobile go by and thought that he was just going to do one pass. He was past the trees next to McMahon when he told the [driver] to turn around and go back down the route. I wasn’t too surprised when he turned around, since I had seen him do it in St. Peter’s Square but I remember the person next to me was very surprised and was yelling and jumping around. It really made the start of my senior year exciting!

– Meg Ross is a member of The Catholic University of America, class of 2016, majoring in architecture.

Close by was a group from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, taking delight in the canonization of a saint to whom they have special ties. They joyfully punctuated the afternoon with shouts of “¡Viva el Papa!” and, movingly, the last words of the saintly martyred Jesuit Miguel Pro – “¡Viva el Cristo Rey!” These welcome guests to our campus energized the day with their passion and fervor for Christ the King and their love of Pope Francis, serving for me as a reminder that our church consists of people from far and wide, from many different countries, and who speak many different languages.

We were a small campus reflecting a large church—May it always be so!

– Trevor Lipscomb is the director of The Catholic University of America Press.

Lucia Silecchia

As I think of Pope Francis’s visit, there are some quick snapshots that I will always remember:

• The joy of the crowd that grew each minute Mass drew closer.
• Meeting people from scattered parts of my life — my parish, my friends, my students, my colleagues, even my Dunkin Donuts! — gathered together for the same sacred reason.
• The lump in my throat when the carillon rang out our joyful expectation.
• The remarkable simplicity of the canonization rite.
• Hearing “Rejoice in the Lord always …” and realizing that one of my favorite passages, one I read at my brother’s wedding, was about to be proclaimed on another special day.
• Hymns — familiar and new — that praised God in the many ways we capture awe and love in song.
• Jubilant laps in the Popemobile followed by the reverence of the Mass.
• The expected smiles of sharing the day with lovedones, and the unexpected tears that sprung from knowing there are loved ones with whom I can no longer share great days like this.
• And the gift of receiving the Eucharist amidst the paradox that the most intimate moment with God can be among thousands.

As Pope Francis left for Rome, he said:

“My days with you have been brief. But they have been days of great grace for me and, I pray, for you too… [A]s I prepare to leave, I do so with a heart full of gratitude and hope.”

Indeed, his days with us were brief. They were days of great grace for me and, I pray, for you too. As he prepared to leave, I watched him do so with a heart full of gratitude and hope.

— Lucia Silecchia is vice provost for policy, a professor of law at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, and director of the International Human Rights Summer Law Program in Rome.

I will always remember those moments when Pope Francis entered the Shrine and the roar of cheering filled the entire Upper Church. As the deacons, volunteers, and I watched him come up the sanctuary steps and bless those gathered, I remember all of us being filled with such joy and peace. Being able to play even a small role in making that day go so well will always be one of the greatest honors of my life.

– Victor David, a 2014 Catholic University graduate, is the scheduling coordinator for the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center.

In what seems like a lifetime later, in the semester of my promotion to full professor of Hispanic Theology and Ministry, I entered another lottery, as an alum, and was gifted with the rare opportunity to see up close and hear yet another Pope at my alma mater.

Following the Mass, I was walking down North Capitol Street at dusk, the only option with a reasonable expectation of getting home, when the unexpected occurred. While standing on a corner waiting to cross the street, a motorcade approached, with its distinctive Fiat 500L. Six strangers – African Americans and Latinas – we started jumping up and down, all inhibition gone, waving at the driver side tinted window, excited just to know Papa Francisco was passing by. Suddenly above the roof of the car from the passenger side a white-sleeved arm emerged and a hand waved in our direction. We had been seen by the Pope! In a flash he was gone, leaving six strangers stunned by a blessing that made us, in that moment, a community celebrating a touch of the sacred.

– Carmen Nanko-Fernández (B.A. 1980, M.A. 1984, D.Min. 1991) is a professor of Hispanic theology and ministry, Catholic Theological Union at Chicago.

The event was very organized and seemed to flow smoothly for all those who followed instructions. All of the students I had encountered were pleasant, happy, smiling, respectful, mannerly, and full of school pride – a real credit to CUA. I sat with a group of students for several hours while we waited, and they were a true pleasure to be around. The volunteers worked so hard and were extremely helpful, and continued to smile and be helpful and pleasant to all those they encountered.

I had heard on EWTN that there were some complaints from people not being able to get to their ticketed seats. I will tell you first-hand the reason for this was that they arrived late and did not follow the instructions, but still expected to “be seated by someone” after the Secret Service closed their area. At this point, they proceeded to walk through section D, pushing their way through all of the students, and myself, who had been sitting there for at least 3 hours waiting as we were told. But, as students of CUA, they remained kind and respectful, making room for everyone.

CUA did an excellent job in coordinating every aspect of this event. The security at the gate was extremely thorough and all of the officers and security did a phenomenal job keeping us all safe.

I just wanted to express my thanks and let you know what a wonderful group of students you have at CUA. This makes me proud to have chosen CUA and proud of each one of them, wishing you and them every wonderful blessing now and in the future.

– Anne Reeser, MSN, ARNP-BC.

As a professor of German and a volunteer for the event, I even learned some specific Spanish that would help me better direct visitors on our campus. The student newspaper, the Tower, also encouraged the student population to pray in Spanish as part of the “Walk with Francis” program so they could better understand their faith through the eyes of our Pontiff.

This emphasis on not only seeing others and recognizing their needs, but truly understanding things from another’s perspective was the highlight of the experience for me. Through Pope Francis’s words and actions, he worked to place emphasis on the value of every individual and their worth in our community.

– Amanda Sheffer is a clinical assistant professor in CUA’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

– Deacon Keith Burney is a fourth-year theology student of the Theological College.

I’m personally very inspired by him and his example. We are very proud of having our Pope be Argentinian and speak Spanish. When I learned that the Pope’s Mass would be in Spanish, I literally jumped for joy. It seemed so appropriate for our Latin-American Pope to come to America, to canonize a Spanish-speaking missionary who worked to spread the Gospel, and to do it in Spanish! I felt proud because speaking Spanish has always been a way to connect to my roots and my family in South America.

I had the privilege of attending the Mass and it was a memory I’ll never forget. Perhaps the most important moment for me of this whole experience was realizing that it was taking place at the lawn of the Basilica in my university. I remember my mom telling me, “I’m so happy you decided to go to CUA!” I can honestly say I have never felt prouder to be a Cardinal.

– Maria Daniela Thurber is a member of The Catholic University of America, majoring in theology and art history, and president of the CUA Spanish Club.