Pictures from the Papal Pilgrimage

The Kenrick seminarians have returned to Saint Louis from our trip to New York, where we attended the youth and seminarian rally during the Pope's visit.

It was a long trip crammed into a short time. The bus rides were grueling, but the event itself was good. It was interesting to see so many (estimated 25,000) young people at the event we attended. There were young religious sisters, brothers, hundreds (maybe thousands) of seminarians, all there to see and hear the Pope's message. It was inspiring.

During his visit, Pope Benedict XVI gave many talks, homiles, and so on. I've been reading the texts of these online. The "celebrity" aspect of the Pope's visit and the media's obsession with scandal and controversy seem to overshadow the real value of his visit. That value is expressed in the words he spoke to us. These words have value for all Christians in America.

I would love to summarize some of his ideas for you and present them on my blog. But I don't know where to begin! They are all excellent. And I really need to spend time studying. The semester is almost over.

So in lieu of my own commentary, I will direct you to the text of his speeches. Please skim through some of them. The address to U.S. bishops and the address to seminarians and youth were both worthwhile. They are all short. Click here to visit the Vatican's web site.

And now, a few choice pictures from the trip.

There was a convoy of six buses from Saint Louis. Three were filled with us seminarians. The others transported young people and adults from the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

We finally got off the bus at Yonkers Raceway. Here is a photo of Russ Kovash and I, the two Bismarck seminarians who currently study in Saint Louis. I forgot to take off my dorky cycling sunglasses.

This trio of seminarians includes Tim, myself, and Brian. We are the three that moved on from my pre-theology class to theology 1.

Security at this event was unlike anything I've ever seen. There were snipers perched over the crowd, secret service people roaming around, and metal detectors at the gates. I'm not sure I want to live in Westchester County ... a place where the police force needs a vehicle like that!

The event was packed with an estimated 25,000 young people, priests, and seminarians. The seminarians were given tickets for an area right in front of the stage.

Pope Benedict XVI arrived and the crowd went wild! I stood in that crowd for probably six hours. It was hot (we were wearing cassocks) and crowded. We were thirsty and hungry. But hey, we were right up front as Pope Benedict spoke to us, specifically.

Finally, Pope Benedict arrived on stage. Here he is, seated in the crazy space-chair somebody built just for him. He spoke of vocations, prayer, and the challenges of being a young Christian in today's society. It was, perhaps, worth the discomfort of getting to the event and waiting for the Pope to arrive.