Greta Haussmann

The real reason that I am experiencing this “papal withdrawal” is because there was such a joyous attitude in our nation and on our campus as we prepared for the Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis. People couldn’t stop talking about all of the beautiful words and actions of the Pope, people were in awe of our Holy Father, and they wanted nothing more than to meet him. People were desperately trying to learn more about the Holy Father and the Catholic Church — there was a sense of renewal happening all around me.

It is disappointing to admit that this joyous attitude that Pope Francis’s visit elicited is slowly fading. We are falling back into our monotonous routines and mundane habits. We are allowing ourselves to forget the grace and joy that we were so blessed to experience a few short weeks ago. It is important for all of us to remember that Pope Francis did not come to elicit momentary emotions; rather he came to renew our spirits so that in turn we can renew the Church and share in the mission of the New Evangelization.

In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis calls us to live the joy of the gospel daily: “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day.”

Whether waiting for Pope Francis motorcade to drive by or waiting for class to start, remember that you are called to be the joy of the Gospel. Let us all learn from Pope Francis’s apostolic visit that we are all fitted to proclaim the New Evangelization with our very lives.

— Greta Haussmann is a junior at The Catholic University of America majoring in theology and religious studies, and media studies.

Alumni Jacqueline Corbin-Armstrong and Elizabeth Briones spent time chatting during the hours before the Mass.

For ticketed guests at the papal Mass, waiting is part of the experience. On big screens, the early faithful watched Pope Francis on his parade route along the Ellipse. They cheered along with those who had lined the streets for a glimpse of the Pontiff.

In their seats at noon, CUA alumni Elizabeth Briones, B.A. 2014, and Jacqueline Corbin-Armstrong, B.A 1985, M.S.M. 2015, marveled at the view of the altar and made fast friends. “Catholic University is my home. It was very important for me to come back and be here for the visit of the Holy Father,” Briones said.

“I agree,” said Corbin-Armstrong. “It’s so wonderful to be back on campus and to celebrate Mass with this community that is like family.” After Mass, Corbin-Armstrong is headed to the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia where she hopes to see Pope Francis again, after serving as music director on Friday for an Archdiocese of the Military Services Mass.

Susana Quinonez, who is originally from Peru, became emotional when she saw her seat and her view of the altar. She is an employee of Georgetown University, and got her ticket from a co-worker who won it through the university’s lottery and gave it to Quinonez knowing what this Mass means to her.

“This is a dream come true,” said Quinonez. “It touches my heart and soul that the Mass will be celebrated in my native language.”

Many students established their turf early in the standing-room section in hopes of getting a good view of Pope Francis when he arrives on campus.

“This Pope is someone you want to emulate,” said Ryan Goldschmidt, a senior nursing student from Hillsborough, N.J. “It will be amazing to see him here, and to show our school off to the world.”

With four hours to go before Mass, friends from the class of 1988, Lisa Geis and Tracey McCormack, were catching up when they realized this would be the first time they were attending Mass together since their Baccalaureate Mass. “It’s pretty cool to share this experience with old friends.”

Mass timelapse from CUA Video on Vimeo.

As she walked to Ward Hall across a campus that was still mostly calm, viola player Megan DiGeorgia, who graduated in 2015, said she was still in a state of disbelief that she would be playing for a papal Mass in only a few hours.

Members of the CUA Symphony Orchestra are seen in Ward Hall hours before the Papal Mass.

“It’s such an amazing experience,” she said. “It still hasn’t quite hit me how big of a deal this is. I think my brain knows it, but I don’t know if I’m going to really understand it for a little while.”

DeGeorgia was also excited that the Pope would come to her own University campus.

“It’s so special for the people who are here right now,” she said. “As musicians, our goal for today is to glorify God through the gifts we’ve been given.”

Christine Laird, a master’s student and member of the chamber choir, was walking toward Ward Hall at the same time. She said she also had a hard time comprehending what the day would be like.

“We’ve been rehearsing for several weeks, but I don’t think we quite get the magnitude of it,” she said. “I don’t think it will be until it’s all put together, when all the people are here, that we will finally understand and see what we are singing for. It’s going to be really overwhelming.”

Downstairs in Ward Hall, a trio of brass players were retrieving their instruments and warming up in the piano lab.

Junior Matthew Fitzsimmons, a trumpet player, said he felt honored and excited to be playing a role in today’s papal Mass.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s actually happening,” he said. “I’ve never been part of something this big. It’s a huge honor.”

Freshman Christopher Gillie, a french horn player, was also warming up before the Mass, which more than 25,000 people are expected to attend.

“This is definitely nerve-wracking,” he said. “This is the largest audience I’ll probably ever play for — probably the largest audience anyone here will ever play for.”

Having only started college a month ago, Gillie said the rehearsals for the papal Mass were a great way to meet other students, alumni, and local musicians.

“I didn’t know I’d have this opportunity,” he said. “It’s a pretty cool way to start my college career.”

Faculty member Eric Moore, who teaches french horn, was also eagerly awaiting the day’s Mass. A former member of the U.S. Navy Band, Moore said he has played for presidents and other government officials in the past, but that playing for a pope is unique.

“I came up here on the Metro and saw people who have come from long distances for this,” Moore said. “As a musician, this is different. It’s not like playing for a military or political figure. This is something bigger than that and more inspiring than that.”

Before he went on air, he came down from the media riser to greet CUA students. He shook hands and posed for selfies, then climbed back up on the 10-tier riser to film his program.

@josefontanezzz tweeted the above photo, saying #CUA is so excited for @CNN with @andersoncooper live tonight here at @CatholicUniv ! #PopeInDC #PopeAtCUA

Anderson Cooper meets Catholic University students. from CUA Video on Vimeo.

Student volunteers label chairs for Wednesday’s papal Mass.

As musicians — including the CUA Symphony Orchestra and the University Chamber Choir — practice their pieces on a side stage, reporters from local and national television stations are readying their camera equipment on top of the newly-constructed media riser in front of John K. Mullen of Denver Library. Faculty experts have been speaking with the media, including President John Garvey, who joined reporter Lester Holt from NBC Nightly News for an interview on the roof of O’Connell Hall.

The liturgical committee is in high gear at the Basilica, preparing the altar, hanging the crucifix, and preparing tens of thousands of communion wafers — including a low-gluten variety — for tomorrow’s Mass.

Elsewhere on campus, students are navigating new routes as they walk between classes, which are still in session. In addition to the large number of bike racks put in place earlier this month for security reasons, students now face new obstacles: rows of porta-potties, ATMs, and quickly constructed food and souvenir stands.

Many students have been finding time during the day to investigate the scene on the University Mall, where 15,000 seats have been set up and numbered in preparation for the canonization Mass.

Student Victor Esposito is seen with his tickets to view Pope Francis’s address to Congress from the Capital.

In the early afternoon, students lined up at the information desk in the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center, where the office of Jon Sawyer, associate vice president for student affairs and the dean of students, was distributing 700 tickets for students to view the Pope’s address to a joint meeting of Congress from the West Front of the Capital. The tickets were awarded to the University from the House of Representatives.

Freshman Briana Marcinauskis was among the students who received a ticket to the Capital.

“I was going back and forth (on whether I wanted the tickets) because I know I’m going to be so tired, but then I thought, ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said. “I got down (to the Pryzbyla Center) and they had five left so I grabbed two of them.”

Walking around campus the day before Pope Francis’s visit is “a little overwhelming,” Marcinauskis said. “Hearing all the music all day has been crazy, but people are really excited.”

Last Day Preps & Rehearsal from CUA Video on Vimeo.

Many hands go up. “Nice!” says Brazinski. “No homework on Wednesday, other than to see the Pope.”

Brazinski is taking advantage of this class on the Monday morning before the papal visit to lecture on the Holy Father’s life and his teachings.

Outside his Caldwell Hall classroom is the Campus Ministry garden featuring a small statue of St. Francis of Assisi. Referring to that, Brazinski asks his students why Pope Francis took on the name of this saint when he began his papacy.

“St. Francis is the patron of animals and the environment and he dedicated himself to the poor,” says one student.

“Bingo!” responds Brazinski as he reminds students of the often-told story of the dramatic moment so many centuries ago when St. Francis renounced his inheritance and dedicated his life to the poor and the environment. “When Pope Francis chose his name that gave us the first idea that these would be the themes of his papacy,” he says.

Brazinski tells the students what it was like on campus on March 13, 2013, when it was announced that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected to be the 266th pope.

“Students chanted ‘Habemus Papam!’ and I can still remember the bells ringing across campus.”

The lecture focuses on Pope Francis’s early life as a boy, as a chemical technician (who also had a job as a nightclub bouncer), as a scholar, and as a young priest. Brazinski’s PowerPoint details important milestones in the Popes’s life. And the class ends with a lively discussion of Laudato Si’, the Pope’s encyclical on the environment. The students have read selected excerpts from the encyclical in which Pope Francis appeals to ‘‘every person living on this planet” to play a role in “caring for our common home.”

Pope Francis’s visit to Catholic University has provided a unique teaching moment for faculty and staff. In addition to the pope’s teachings being worked into curriculum in anticipation of the Holy Father’s visit, Catholic University’s Office of Campus Ministry initiated a series of events with the theme “Walking with Francis: Joy of the Gospel.”

CUA students, alumni, faculty, and staff have taken the pledge to walk in solidarity with the Holy Father through prayer, learning, and service. More than 500 members of the CUA community took part in the Serve with Francis Day on Sept. 13.There were special Masses in Spanish to help students learn the assembly responses for a Spanish Mass. Learning events included a screening of the Salt + Light documentary “The Francis Effect,” a pope trivia night, a panel discussion titled “Follow Francis’s Footsteps: The Pope’s Guide to Modern Life,” and a lecture on “Junipero Serra: An Apostle of California.

“I am so excited for the Mass. It will bring happiness to so many souls,” says Rory Martinez, a student in Brazinski’s course. “Spanish is my first language. My grandmother is from Mexico and she always told me about seeing Pope John Paul II. I got my faith from her. Celebrating the Mass in Spanish will feel like home. And after today’s class I will be going into the Mass with great knowledge,” says the theology major from New Mexico.

“Pope Francis’s visit to our campus provides a great opportunity for our students and community,” says Brazinski. “In the months leading to his adventus, he has inspired us to serve, pray, and learn. From our numerous service days to our Fitness for Francis at the Kane Fitness Center, CUA has been awaiting the Holy Father and has enhanced its programming to honor his mission. His visit has truly provided a unique and invigorating opportunity for our University.”

“The visit of Pope Francis will be one of the most memorable events in the lives of Catholic University students, who hopefully will remember not only the event, but also the Pope’s message: his invitation to ‘walk’ as a person of faith throughout the rest of their lives,” says Rev. John T. Ford, professor of theology and religious studies, who delivered the lecture on Blessed Junípero Serra. The soon-to-be saint will be canonized by Pope Francis during the papal Mass.

“It was undoubtedly a cool experience, participating in the ‘Serve with Francis Day’,” said baseball senior Eric Scamardella. “Getting a chance to give back to the community is always an opportunity that we take on with pride, knowing that we are making a difference. In this case, doing it in preparation for the Pope’s visit alongside my teammates made it a special experience.”

> Read the full report

CUA junior Angela Fragale is interviewed by a TV reporter about being chosen as one of the escorts for the deacons who will distribute communion at the papal Mass.

Washington, D.C., TV station ABC7 sent a crew on Friday afternoon to interview a few of the many students who will serve as escorts for the deacons who will distribute communion to the 25,000 worshippers on the University’s Mall.

With the backdrop of the Basilica adorned with a giant banner welcoming Pope Francis, senior engineering student Tyler Zimmerman told reporter Suzanne Kennedy, “It’s great to help out with something so important and so distinctive not just for our University but for the Catholic Church in general.” The segment aired on both the 4 p.m. and the 5 p.m. broadcasts.

Two other student communion escorts were interviewed by Kennedy: junior Angela Fragale and senior Tom Scalfaro.

Amy Rowland, a program coordinator in the Office of Campus Ministry, is interviewed by a Baltimore TV reporter.

Just across the University Mall at the same time, the local CBS Baltimore station had a crew at the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center, where they asked students about the level of excitement on campus. In addition they spoke with staff member Amy Rowland, a program coordinator in the Office of Campus Ministry. That segment also aired on Friday on the station’s 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. broadcasts.

For more media reports featuring members of the CUA community, visit the CUA News & Media page.

Durante mi formación académica he admirado a muchos de mis profesores. Grandes pensadores y aún mejores personas, llenos de pasión por su especialidad. En ese mismo instante descubrí que yo estaba en la misma situación, tenía la oportunidad de desbordar mi pasión por los idiomas, por el arte, por la cultura. Tenía enfrente la opción de analizar las diversas versiones del mundo y de compartirlas y aprender con mis alumnos. Era una aventura, que inclusive el día de hoy, estoy dispuesta a seguir.

Después de los 50 minutos de clase salí corriendo por un café, necesitaba un respiro; sentía el corazón latiéndome a mil por hora. Esa noche me pregunté, ¿cómo puedo hacer una diferencia en la vida de mis alumnos?, ¿cómo puedo ser una buena profesora?, ¿cómo podemos aprender mis alumnos y yo en conjunto? Gracias a la guía de la Dra. Kassen y de mis colegas, he podido descubrir cómo ser mi mejor versión, tanto de mí misma, como profesora.

Crear comunidad es fundamental. La Universidad Católica es como una gran familia, su tamaño mediano, sus clases personalizadas permiten el acercamiento de profesores, alumnos y personal universitario. El mejor ejemplo que puedo darle a mis alumnos soy yo misma. Si yo sigo mis propias reglas, comparto mi fe, los involucro en mis actividades (y me involucro en las suyas), promuevo el servicio y la búsqueda de la verdad, puedo exigir lo mismo.

La visita del Papa Francisco ha servido como una gran mancuerna para generar comunidad. La comunidad de la CUA está dispuesta a servir, a actuar, a aprender y a rezar para recibir a nuestro Santo Padre.

El Papa Francisco, nativo del idioma español, ha destacado que cuando quiere hablar desde el corazón lo hace en español. Con base en ese pensamiento, e impulsada por poner en práctica los conocimientos de español de mis alumnos, hemos escrito nuestra Promesa al Papa Francisco para darle la bienvenida a nuestro hermoso campus. La idea era simple, hablarle al Papa Francisco desde el corazón en su idioma para expresar nuestro compromiso y formar parte de nuestra comunidad. El resultado, sin embargo, fue extraordinario. Mis 36 alumnos escribieron su compromiso y lo compartieron con sus compañeros y conmigo. Fue una experiencia conmovedora y única, que me recordó que cuando las cosas se hacen desde el corazón, con fe y con pasión tocan nuestra alma.

Hoy, no puedo sentirme más orgullosa y emocionada por compartir esta experiencia con mis alumnos, por formar parte de la comunidad de la Universidad Católica de América y por tener la oportunidad de recibir con el corazón al Papa Francisco.

– Patricia G. Díaz Suzarte es alumna de la Maestría en Literatura Hispanas y Culturas y profesora de español 104.

Father Eric de la Pena, associate chaplain for the University, was the celebrant for the Mass, which honored Our Lady of Sorrows.

“In the spirit of Blessed Junípero Serra, who embraced another culture out of love for Christ, I think this sensitizes us to the reality that we have neighbors who may not speak our language,” he said. “I think it’s more than just getting familiar with the prayers. The experience of meeting another culture widens your world and widens your vision of life. Our prayers become richer by involving other cultures.”

Father Eric de la Pena, associate chaplain, celebrates a Mass in Spanish Sept. 15.

Those who attended the Mass also had the opportunity to venerate a first-class relic of Junípero Serra: a piece of his bone. Father de la Pena obtained the relic for his personal collection after writing to the Shrine of Blessed Junípero Serra in Carmel, Calif.

“When you look at a picture of the saint, you almost feel like they are three feet above the ground, but the relics give us a sense that they were flesh and bone just like us and give us a sense of hope,” Father de la Pena said. “As a sacramental of the Church, they remind us of everything good that God has promised to us, that even in our frailty as human beings we can aspire to something good as these holy men and women.”

Senior Maria Thurber, a theology and Spanish major from St. Petersburg Fla., is a member of the Spanish Club, which worked with Campus Ministry to organize the Mass. As a heritage Spanish speaker — her mother is from Ecuador — she said she’s excited that the Mass honoring Junípero Serra will be in Spanish.

“I feel very proud that the first Latin American pope is going to come and do a Mass in Spanish,” she said. “For students, there will be nothing better than going to the Mass, knowing what they’re saying so they feel more a part of it. The language barrier won’t exist, or at least it won’t be so harsh.”

This summer, Thurber was in Ecuador during Pope Francis’s visit to Latin America. During her time there, she attended a papal Mass and held a sign that said, “Pope Francis, I’ll C-U Sept. 23 at Catholic University.”

“To see him there, it just made us Latin Americans all so proud,” she said. “The Catholic faith is so important to us, so to have our pope speak Spanish is just unbelievable.”

Students will have another opportunity to attend a Spanish language Mass on Sept. 22. That Mass, which will honor Our Lady of Mercy, will begin at 5:10 p.m. in Caldwell Chapel. Those present will once again have the opportunity to venerate the relic of Blessed Junípero Serra.