April 24, 2008

Memphians Greet Pope in Washington, New York

Special to The West Tennessee Catholic

It's 888 miles to Washington DC from Memphis. To drive straight through, it takes thirteen hours and fifty minutes. Bill Drennan and his wife Ann drove the trip with their three kids. "We stopped overnight near Knoxville," Bill said, "and then came straight on to Washington." They left after school on Tuesday and traveled to DC to be on time for a morning Mass on Thursday with Pope Benedict XVI in the new Nationals Park on Washington's South East Corner.

Charlie Drennan a sophomore at Christian Brothers High School said after the Mass, "It was neat being here. We came a long way, but it was all worth it." Asked how he might describe the Papal Mass to his friends, Charlie settled with, "It's a once in a lifetime experience."

His sister, Maggie, a senior at Saint Benedict High School said, "It was just amazing to be here and to be so close to the Pope." Their younger brother Michael, who is being home schooled noted that, "Mass was hot."

It is sometimes difficult to describe the experience of a Papal event. Ann Drennan said, "It was overwhelming." She also said that in one sense she was jealous _ jealous of her children who had the opportunity so early in their lives to experience what it was like to celebrate Mass with a Pope. "This is my first experience of an event like this. And I'm glad I did it. It's really a pilgrimage." Ann also noted the excitement of people chatting on the subway as she and the family made their way from a friend's home in Virginia. Subways in Washington were jammed with Mass goers Thursday as more than 47,000 people needed to be transported to the stadium for Mass. Some were wearing t-shirts touting the Pope's Mass. Several young people wore baseball jerseys with the number 16 on the back and the word Benedict where a players name would normally be inscribed. Chartered buses carried people from many local parishes. Each person going to the Mass had a ticket, and each one entering the stadium went through a magnetometer to be sure they were not carrying weapons of any sort. The day was magnificent with a pure blue sun-drenched sky and a hint of cool spring in the air.

Being at the Papal Mass was the hottest ticket in Washington that day. Bill Drennan received his tickets from the allotment sent by the Archdiocese of Washington to Memphis. "I took a chance and called the diocesan office. I was surprised to get the tickets. And it's really been extraordinary." Drennan, who is the owner of Performance Systems, a sales and leadership training company, was still plotting his return journey when he spoke with The West Tennessee Catholic, but he knew he had to be home in plenty of time for Saturday. His daughter Maggie had to back in Memphis. Saturday was prom night at St. Benedict.