Meeting Pope John Paul II, October 1995, by Gosia
From MemoryArchive
Who: Gosia What: Meeting Pope John Paul II When: October 1995 Where: Baltimore, Maryland
Meeting Pope John Paul II was something that I will not forget. I was 11 years old and the Pope was traveling through Baltimore. His Sunday service was given at Camden Yards which is actually where the Baltimore Orioles play. It was a packed stadium, even the nosebleed section was filled with people who were interested in hearing the Pope speak. I was there representing Polish Catholics in the greater Baltimore region. I was chosen to be on the field because I danced with a Polish folk group and the agenda for the visit including having various folk groups on the stadium field dancing as the Pope emerged. There were Greeks, Italians, Spaniards, Brazilians, and numerous other groups that were represented on the field. When the Pope came onto the field he was in his Popemobile which was great to see in person. He went around the field a couple of times waving to the crowds, and as strange as it may sound it was as if I was watching a rock star just because everyone in the stands was just so excited to see him. But the best part of the whole experience was being blessed by the Pope backstage. The group that I was with was just hanging around backstage afterwards and then we saw him. Considering that he was Polish, we tried to get his attention by speaking Polish, he noticed and we got the chance to speak with the Pope for a few moments. I was just awestruck, and at the end of our conversation he blessed us all. It was amazing to be on the field when there were thousands of people in the stands, and it was quite an overwhelming experience.
