Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Detroit among dioceses represented at papal visit
Detroit among dioceses represented at papal visit
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published March 21, 2008
Detroit — When Pope Benedict XVI visits New York and Washington, D.C. next month, the Archdiocese of Detroit will be represented.
Seminarians, priests, families and educators from Detroit are all among those expected to attend addresses, Masses and rallies with the pope. It will be Pope Benedict’s eighth foreign trip and the first papal visit to the United States since Pope John Paul II visited St. Louis in 1999.
On the afternoon of Saturday, April 19, the pope presides over an encounter with young people at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, north of New York City. The pope will meet with about 50 disabled youths, then speak to several thousand young people — including hundreds of seminarians — at what’s being described as a rally/prayer service. SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake is among those sending a contingent — 33 seminarians and six faculty members are planning to attend the rally.
Fr. Miroslaw Kazimierz Król, dean of human formation, who arranged the trip, said as of last week the seminary was still finalizing the details for the trip but they were planning on leaving Friday, April 18 and returning Sunday, April 20.
He said that although SS. Cyril and Methodius is a Polish seminary, and the people there have a strong devotion to Pope John Paul II, their love and respect for Pope Benedict XVI is also very great. Polish people accept Pope Benedict because of his own love for Pope John Paul II, he explained.
“They are very excited,” he said of the seminarians. “They love the Holy Father.”
He added that as the pope gets older, the chances of him making another visit to the United States gets smaller and smaller, so they want to take advantage of this opportunity.
To prepare spiritually for the visit, the seminary had last Friday night a holy hour for Pope Benedict and his intentions, as well as for his visit; Mass the next day was to be for those same intentions.
Fr. Król and the others going on the trip are waiting for the message the pope is going to give to the American Church, he said, which is in “great need for a message of hope.” “I think the visit of the Holy Father will strengthen the Church of the United States,” he said.
Seminarians from Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, won’t be able to attend the event because of final exams starting the following Monday and travel logistics.
On Sunday, April 20, Pope Benedict will celebrate Mass in Yankee Stadium. David Calcaterra, of Grosse Pointe and member of St. Paul of the Lake Parish, Gross Pointe Farms, and his wife and children were allotted tickets to attend the Mass.
He said his whole family was excited to go, adding that hearing the news gave him chills and comparing it to winning the lottery.
“I am so delighted,” he said. “It’s an honor and a privilege. “I love my Church and I love the pope and I’m excited to go.”
He’s currently looking into airfare and hotels for the trip.
On Thursday, April 17, the pope will addresses the heads of more than 200 U.S. Catholic colleges and universities at The Catholic University of America in Northeast Washington. Among the educators attending is the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Sr. Frances Nadolny, director of the Department of Education.
—Catholic News Service contributed to this story.
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