Local pilgrims young and old flock to New York for Yankee Mass

As Pope Benedict XVI was exiting Yankee Stadium after his Mass on April 20, smiles and tears were the norm among the 57,000 Catholics in attendance. For the 500 people from the Diocese of Buffalo, the Mass became a moment they will likely never forget.

Most of the local pilgrims had a long day, as they boarded buses bound for New York City early Sunday morning, only to board the same bus directly after the Mass to head home. But despite the long trip, they were all excited to see what most called a once-in-a-lifetime event.

"Words cannot describe the excitement that we're feeling," said Susan Kroczynski of St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda. "It's incredible to be in his presence. I get goose bumps just waiting for this to start."

Although he has been the pontiff for three years now, many Catholics were unsure of how to react to Pope Benedict XVI, especially since his work as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith gave him a reputation of being a disciplinarian. But by talking to the Catholics attending the Yankee Stadium Mass, the pope's first apostolic visit to the United States has changed a lot of minds.

"My opinion has changed," Kroczynski said. "I've been really impressed with how warm he's been. He's been upfront – talking about the sex (abuse) issue was not something I thought he would do."

A number of teenagers from Blessed Sacrament Parish in Buffalo wore matching blue sweatshirts for the papal Mass. Lindsay Knab could barely contain her enthusiasm for the pope. "I couldn't sleep on the bus ride (here) because I was so excited," she said.

Tim Van Oss, another teenager from Blessed Sacrament Parish, agreed. "I never thought I would see the pope, at such a young age, here in the United States," he said.

Patrick Zicari, another Blessed Sacrament parishioner and student at Canisius High School, attended the Mass with his younger brother Thomas. Thus far, Zicari has been impressed by the pope. "He seems like he's pretty good at it," he said. "He knows what he's doing."

Father Barry Allaire, principal of Archbishop Walsh High School in Olean, led a contingent of students from the school down to Yankee Stadium for the day. He was highly impressed with the pope's visit. "He comes across as a teacher," Father Allaire said. "He keeps repeating several themes. Objective truth, being challenged by America's individualism, these are the themes that are always summed up in Christ. People have a responsibility for our future, and these are the (themes) that keep coming through."

A group of confirmation students from Immaculate Conception Parish in Wellsville got tickets to the papal Mass after its pastor, Msgr. Vincent Becker, thought it would be a good learning experience. Molly Willson is one of the confirmation students who attended. "I was more curious," Willson said of her interest. "I wasn't sure what to expect. There's a lot of people here and the setup (on stage) is really nice." Although she really doesn't know much about Pope Benedict XVI, Willson respects his mission. "He came to America to try and inspire young people to be strong in their faith," Willson said. Debbie Clark is one of the chaperones for the students. She's been to New York before – notably by seeing the Beatles in concert at Shea Stadium – and brought it full circle by seeing the pope in Yankee Stadium. "I didn't know a lot about this pope, and he seemed standoff-ish," said Clark, who has since warmed to Pope Benedict XVI. "He's quiet and reserved, but in his own way, he's special. He's a calming influence and what we need right now."