Pope's visit to NYC will be well represented by area Catholics
by JILL SCHMELZER Ken-Ton Editor

Pope Benedict XVI will visit the United States this week for the first time since his reign as leader of the Catholic church began in April 2005.

The pope was scheduled to arrive Tuesday in Washington D.C., where he was to meet President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. This was only the second time in history that a pontiff has visited the White House, according to a statement issued by the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

The papal visit will include Mass at the new Nationals Park in Washington; an intimate address by the pope with department heads and superintendents of Catholic colleges and schools; and a separate meeting with representatives from various religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam, at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.

Pope Benedict will then continue on his journey to New York City, where he will reflect at Ground Zero and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium.

Several Catholics from the Buffalo area will attend the stadium celebration on April 20, including Buffalo Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, who will travel to both Washington and New York for events with the pope.

He will be joined by Buffalo Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Grosz. The two leaders joined other U.S. bishops at a private prayer service Wednesday with the pope at Washington's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

"He is coming to the United States to do the work that God wants him to do, which is evangelization. The pope will be reaching out to many people including the young, and I am pleased that so many in our diocese will be able to take part in this historic event," Bishop Kmiec said. " Even those who will not see the holy father in person will experience an increase in their faith."

About 500 Catholics from the Diocese of Buffalo, including St. Gabriel Church in Elma and St. Gregory the Great in Williamsville, will attend the papal Mass at Yankee Stadium.

Richelle Recckio, a junior at Williamsville South, said she was "ecstatic" when she heard she would be able to attend the Mass.

"I've gone to youth retreats, but this is far bigger than that," she said. "It's going to be a good experience, and with the pope involved, it's going to be awesome."

Recckio will join about 43 other St. Gregory the Great parishioners on a journey to hear the papal Mass.

"I'm just very excited about it," said Jim Havens, coordinator of the group from St. Greg's. "I'm really looking forward to being able to see the pope in person and going to Mass with so many people. It should just be a powerful experience."

Havens said he has always wanted to be in the presence of a pope, and now that he will actually be able to see him in person, he said it will be exciting.

"The vicar of Christ, the pope, is right there," he said, noting that about 20 of the parishioners attending will travel by bus early Sunday morning, attend Mass and get right back on the bus to come home.

"It's going to be a whirlwind type of experience," he said.

Other Catholics will attend from Archbishop Walsh High School in Olean, Holy Family in Youngstown, Nativity of Our Lord in Coldon and Wyoming Association for Catholic Youth in Arcade.