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	Bishop, Local Priests, Others Reflect on Messages, Challenges By Margaret M. Russell Catholic Free Press April 25, 2008 http://catholicfreepress.org/_Pages/_This%20Week/0425Bishop%20local.html The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States changed his image in the minds of many. His message of hope resonated with the young, with immigrants, with abuse victims, with teachers, with bishops, with Catholics in the pews and with people of other faiths. "It was exactly what the Church in the United States needed; to have the pope come among us," Bishop McManus said reflecting on the five days he spent with the pope in Washington, D.C., and New York. The reception Pope Benedict received at every venue was described as spontaneous and enthusiastic. "One effect of his visit was the good it did for his own image. We saw a true shepherd and a flock that loves that shepherd," said Father Jose A. Rodriguez. Father Rodriguez, pastor of St. Joan of Arc and St. Bernard parishes in Worcester, drove to the Mass at Nationals Stadium in Washington with Father Anthony Mpagi, his associate pastor. In his many talks, Pope Benedict told us what we have done right in America and congratulated us for our successes. And like a good father, he also pointed out our failings and encouraged us to do better. The themes the pope talked about in his first speech at the White House set the direction for the whole visit, Bishop McManus noted. "He dealt with all the American issues by repeating the Gospel message," Father Paul O'Connell said. Father O'Connell, senior priest at St. Anne Parish in Shrewsbury and associate judicial vicar for the diocese, traveled to New York with retired Father George L. O'Brien to be with the pope. They were among the hundreds of Eucharistic ministers at Sunday's Mass in Yankee Stadium. The pope "gave us the same message that the apostles gave in (Tuesday's) Gospel; they encouraged the disciples. He encouraged the church of America," Father O'Connell said. More than encourage, Pope Benedict offered challenges to American Catholics. He challenged religious brothers and sisters and priests not to leave their teaching charisms behind; not to leave poor children behind. He was warmly received by educators in a meeting at The Catholic University of America last Wednesday, Bishop McManus said. He thanked them for their contributions but was not afraid to say "anything taught or presented that is contrary to Catholic teaching has no place in Catholic schools," said Bishop McManus. At various locations the pope challenged young people to have the courage to answer the call of Christ, to take up and spread his message. At St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, "they responded to him with the chant 'Christ our hope, Benedict our pope.' He beamed at that," Bishop McManus said. "Who said the pope (at 81 years old) can't relate to young people?" "If the youth carry the message with the enthusiasm we saw, then we're in good shape for the future," Father O'Connell said. Mary Jane Mattfeld of Millbury, who belongs to St. Catherine of Sweden Parish in Worcester, said she had been watching the pope's journey on television and thought that he had a "nice message for young people: That it is a great vocation to imitate Christ." Ms. Mattfeld attended the Mass at Yankee Stadium. Suzanne D'Innocenzo, the mother of a seminarian for the Boston Archdiocese, said just being in the presence of the pope was a gift. Her son, Daniel, travels back and forth from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Pennsylvania to Massachusetts with two Worcester seminarians, Eric Asante and Mark Rainville, she said. Eric and Daniel met up with Mrs. D'Innocenzo and her husband, Paul, at Yankee Stadium. The young men had also spent time with the pope at the rally at St. Joseph's. Mrs. D'Innocenzo offered some advice for parents of children who are considering a religious vocation, "Prayer and adoration. Offer them up to God." The pope returned again and again to the theme of freedom, Bishop McManus said. "Freedom can only be truly free when wedded to the truth. In submission to truth we don't lose anything, we gain freedom," Bishop McManus explained. "He told us to celebrate the freedom we have as Americans, but to do it in a responsible way," Father O'Connell recalled. Another theme often repeated was that "we as the American church are called to be hope for the world," Father Rodriguez said. "Pope Benedict brought a message of hope, but this was not just any kind of hope it was a hope in Christ, Christ our hope. Pope Benedict is a witness to that hope and he was calling upon all of us to share in that witness," Jonathan Slavinskas said. Mr. Slavinskas is a diocesan seminarian at Mount Saint Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. He saw the pope up-close at Nationals Stadium. In many talks, the pope referred to the country as being made up of waves of immigrants. Bishop McManus said the pope told us, "do not close your doors and hearts to the new immigrants." That was a message that was said and was demonstrated, Father Rodriguez noted. "His message recognizes in words how important immigrants are. Doing his homily is Spanish, he put that message into action. Just hearing the Spanish gave us hope," Father Rodriguez said. "The ethnic mixture (in all of the celebrations) was so powerful," he said. At the Mass in Nationals Stadium "we sang in 10 different languages. That's our church. It was very uplifting to see the multiculturalism. It gave me great hope," said Father Rodriguez who has a large Hispanic congregation. Mr. Slavinskas said, "Not only did Pope Benedict bring with him this message of hope, he also brought with him a message of the healing love of Christ" when he addressed the sex abuse crisis at three venues and spoke directly to a small group of victims. "This was particularly powerful for me. I remember when the scandal of the Church broke, and I know and have witnessed the pain that the scandal had caused so many. Pope Benedict acknowledged the pain," Mr. Slavinskas said. "Pope Benedict again, called us to be a witness as he said; 'Today I encourage each of you to do what you can to foster healing and reconciliation, and to assist those who have been hurt.' As Christians we are called to assist those in need, those who have been hurt, those who feel distant from the love of Christ," Mr. Slavinskas said. "Vengeance and the desire for blood are not going to heal the soul. (Abuse victims) need to look for Christ and embrace him. That's the only one who can heal - Christ - not a judge, not money, not a psychiatrist," said Father Rodriguez. Throughout his visit Pope Benedict make reference to teachings of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II who had visited the United States several times. It seems that Pope Benedict is a pope to listen to. People were struck by the reverence with which people listened to him. Mr. Slavinskas, who said he had seen Pope John Paul II in 1999 in St. Louis, said, "There was something about John Paul II which just ignited the crowds. This was a different feeling." The crowds of Pope Benedict, he said, "were ignited by his words." Bishop McManus repeated that sentiment when talking about the hush that fell over the crowd of 57,000 people in Yankee Stadium when the pope gave his homily. "Many people came to see John Paul II. Today they come to listen to Benedict," he said. No doubt the papal visit was one of those special occasions that recharge us, like being among those who were present for Jesus' Transfiguration or those who saw him after his Resurrection, explained Father Rodriguez. The short-term effect of the visit may be short-lived because Americans move so quickly, Father O'Connell remarked. "But, anybody who heard the message has to know that it is a 2,000-year-old message. He applied the Scripture and Gospel message to issues the Church is facing today," he said. "The visit helped us as a family. It helped us to know that we need to come together. This week was one of those weeks were I got the image that the grass is greener on our side," Father Rodriguez said. "In a sense it was like going on a fantastic retreat," Bishop McManus said. "It makes you proud of the faith again," Father O'Connell said.
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