Leaders
join Pope at White House
(L to r) David Savage, Tricia and Dan Celluci
By Lou Baldwin
Special to The CS&T
During Pope Benedict’s visit to the White House, about
50 staff members and supporters of the Exton-based Catholic
Leadership Institute were part of an invitation-only throng
of 13,500 who assembled on the South Lawn. It was the second
time in history that a pope visited the president’s
residence.
“We were about 70 yards from the Holy Father,”
said Dan Cellucci, spokesman for the CLI, a group that conducts
leadership training for priests in 20 dioceses around the
country.
“As a Catholic, and an American Catholic, to have
both the president and the Holy Father in one place was
thrilling,” Cellucci said. “Both of their comments
tied into the fact that faith has been part of our country
through its history, and faith should be the guiding principle
as we move forward into the future.”
James A. Fitzsimmons, head of the Malvern Retreat House,
described the event as “very uplifting and affirming.
“It was great to see the Holy Father and president
together, affirming some of our core beliefs — human
life and a call to service for all mankind,” Fitzsimmons
added. “They struck the same chord on core tenets
of our faith and of our Constitution. It’s good to
be part of a historic event like that.”
The Pope said in his White House remarks that faith “gives
us the strength to respond to our high calling and the hope
that inspires us to work for an even more just and fraternal
society.”
Agnes Gayhardt, a board member of CLI and a member of St.
John Neumann Parish in Bryn Mawr, said she also found hope
through the meeting and the message of hope. “Our
Church has gone through a lot of changes, and now we can
move forward,” she said. “It was great. I didn’t
realize it would be as thrilling as it was — it was
more than I expected.”
On a perfect spring morning, the White House pulled out
all the stops to welcome the Holy Father. Opera star Kathleen
Battle sang the Lord’s Prayer, a military fife-and-drum
corps in colonial garb played “Yankee Doodle,”
and a military chorus sang the “Battle Hymn of the
Republic.”
“The remarks, and the pomp and ceremony, made me proud
to be a Catholic and an American,” said David Savage
of St. Katharine of Siena Parish, Wayne, and a CLI board
member. “It was exciting to see the Holy Father —
and it was a huge turnout.”
Among the other stops the Holy Father made in the nation’s
capital was a visit to the Catholic University of America
on April 17, where he addressed presidents of Catholic universities,
superintendents of Catholic schools and other educators.
Among those to welcome him at the Edward J. Przbyla University
Center was Catholic University’s president, Vincentian
Father David O’Connell, who grew up in Our Lady of
Grace Parish, Penndel.
“I was impressed by the Holy Father’s warmth
and graciousness,” Father O’Connell said. “It
was wonderful — a magnificent day. The presidents
and superintendents were really excited.”
Rosalie Mirenda, president of Neumann College in Aston,
agreed: “Pope Benedict challenged us by reaffirming
the role of Catholic education as an outstanding apostolate
of hope, and [urged] that everything must be done to continue
the education for all people. No child or person should
be denied such an education.
“The moments spent with the Holy Father were precious,
uplifting moments for all of us,” Mirenda added. “His
message, simple but powerful, will serve us well in handling
the profound responsibility we bear as educators in our
Catholic colleges and universities.”
Catholic University senior Megan French, also a member of
Our Lady of Grace Parish, had a great vantage point for
the Holy Father’s meeting with educators.
“I was about 20 feet from the Holy Father,”
said French, who belongs to a 17-member student choir that
sang for the meeting.
“We sang an 8th century chant as he came in, and we
sang Palestrina’s ‘Tu es Petrus’ as he
left,” she explained. “I was really nervous
to sing for the Holy Father, but it was an experience I
don’t think I’ll ever forget. The whole campus
was buzzing with excitement and everybody was on the lawn
to see him. I don’t think we were prepared for how
wonderful it was.”
The largest crowd in Washington gathered earlier that day
for the Mass celebrated by his Holiness at Washington Nationals
Park. Among the Philadelphians present was Father Ronald
W. Check, a parochial vicar at St. Monica Parish who is
just completing his first year of priesthood.
“I have great love and devotion for Pope Benedict,
and this is the first time I saw him in person,” he
said.
“It was wonderful just to see his love and care for
us here in America with all of our struggles. He recognized
the richness of our country and the great things we contribute
to the whole of the Catholic Church,” Father Check
said. “He told us we should be proud of what we have
done, give credit to God and turn to God more and more.”
Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and a freelance
writer.
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