Pilgrimage to Philadelphia
Fifty members of the Montrose community travel to see the Pope.
Over fifty Montrose students, faculty, family and friends made the recent pilgrimage to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis. The travelers boarded the Montrose-sponsored bus at 4:00 AM on September 27 for the trip south. Before leaving Montrose, trip coordinator and history teacher Kate Cusack ‘99 reminded them that a pilgrimage is a journey of acceptance of whatever comes.
The group arrived at the Philadelphia Sports Complex, the assigned parking spot for the bus, around 10 AM. The excited pilgrims then boarded trains into the city and the area around Benjamin Franklin Parkway, hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis.
What came was a day of many blessings. “Everyone we have encountered has been extremely pleasant and helpful,” said parent Iva Conte, traveling with her daughters Sylvia ‘16 and Sophia ‘19. “They have been especially accommodating of the wheelchair.” Sylvia did not want her recent soccer injury to interfere with a chance to see the Holy Father, so her mother pushed her through the city in a wheelchair.
The Montrose group had a chance to see the Pope on his motorcade procession before the 4:00 PM Mass, celebrated in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Amidst the crowds, the group got separated but most got a glimpse as he passed by in the “popemobile.” Many enjoyed seeing him stop the procession to kiss the baby of a couple standing right next to them.
The Papal Mass was conducted in four different languages; Spanish, Vietnamese, English and Latin. Following Mass, the crowds dispersed and the pilgrims worked their way back to the bus for the trip home, walking several miles. The bus returned to the Montrose parking lot roughly twenty-three hours after it left. Despite the long day, Amanda Belger ‘21 enjoyed herself. “It was really fun. It was so amazing to see the Pope from just twenty feet away,” she said. “All the people were friendly and cooperative, even though there were so many of us.”
An independent school for girls in grades 6-12
Inspired by the teachings of the Catholic Church
Inspired by the teachings of the Catholic Church
