Karen Smith and her daughter, Jennifer, of Gilbertsville traveled to Philadelphia to join in the celebration of the Festival of Families on Saturday, September 26. The Smith’s joined 20 other pilgrims on a bus tour that dismissed from Most Blessed Sacrament, Bally.
Everyone was itching with anticipation in getting a glimpse of Pope Francis. The drive turned eerie when traveling on the Schuylkill Expressway where no traffic was in sight due to the road closures. The bus had delivered the travelers to the Sports Complex and took the subway to Center City.
Standing in line for security was another adventure. For three hours, the group waited to pass through gates into the festivities. While they were waiting, another group of travelers began playing “Alleluia” with guitars and bongos. Everyone in the crowd was joining in even though they did not know most of the words. “There was a sense of peace and unity in the air” commented Jennifer.
Once through security, the group took off towards the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to find a place to wait and see the Holy Father. The group decided to stand close to the gates lining the Parkway and a jumbo tron to watch the entertainment but the Smith’s decided to travel further down the Parkway to see as much as Eakin’s Oval as they could. Jennifer said that “this is an amazing experience” that will never be forgotten. The Smith’s had returned to the group to await Pope Francis’ arrival.
After some star-studded performances, the moment had finally arrived to see the Holy Father. Pope Francis traveled around the Parkway blessing the crowd with his bright-cheery smile. The pope mobile traveled by quickly but a glimpse was all the Smith’s needed to feel his presence. When he finished his journey around the Parkway, Pope Francis held a short prayer service that Karen said, “the beautiful words of the Pope held true to what this day was all about.”
Overall, “this was a lifetime experience that we will never forget. It is something that you feel blessed to be a part of,” the Smith’s stated. They were anxious to watch the Papal Mass, occurring Sunday, Sept. 27, from their home and tell the stories of their experiences for years to come.
