Campus ministry group on pilgrimage to see Pope

Brendan Johnson, Opinions Editor|September 23, 2015

Kevin Berns

Principal Trevor Bonat gives some final words of wisdom to the Campus Ministry group before they board the bus for Philadelphia to see the pope.

A group of three faculty members and five students are on their way to Philadelphia to experience a mass with the Holy Father. Faculty members Timothy Wilmes, Michael Callahan, and Ken Luecke, along with juniors Connor Blair, Jack Gerbic, Michael Dunn, Michael Aarons and senior Sean Higgins departed today to begin their pilgrimage.

“I realized how great of privilege it would be to go on the pilgrimage,” Aarons said. “It is an opportunity that not many people will get.”

Those involved with Campus ministry were given the opportunity last summer to answer questions explaining why they wanted to attend the papal mass. The answers were evaluated without the names of the writers on them, and five of the roughly 13 were selected. “We tried to find a person that seemed like it would be an important experience to him,” Luecke said, “and he’s got some understanding.” The group will hear from various speakers on their trip, among them the pope, before they prepare to attend the papal mass. “I expect everything we do on the pilgrimage to be a part of one, great experience,” Gerbic said. “With everything we will see and everyone we will hear, there will be a lot to learn and take away.” The group will be eight of about 300,000 attending the mass on Sept. 27 at Benjamin Franklin Parkway. “Being involved in a lot at De Smet, school pride is important to me,” Aarons said. “It is an honor to represent De Smet at such a huge event.” Various Jesuit schools across the country were invited to the papal mass because Pope Francis is a Jesuit himself.

“I am excited to see all everything we learn about and hear about [at De Smet],” Gerbic said. “He embodies the principles we are taught at a Jesuit school.”

Media groups will meet with the group to discuss their pilgrimage to Philadelphia. While in Philadelphia, members of the group will be using their Twitter accounts and other forms of social media, with the hashtags #2Philly4Francis and #2P4F.

“This is an event that I think we can share with the rest of the school,” Luecke said. “And these are ways that we can do that.”

The group will spend time praying and listening to talks.They are scheduled to have daily liturgies and reflections, listen to talks at the Festival of Families, and have reconciliation. They will reflect on and share their experiences with each other during their final night in Philadelphia, and depart on Sept. 28.

“I think being open to what we hear, the prayers that we have and the other opportunities with the pope can make a significant effect on us,” Luecke said. “It’s a pilgrimage; it’s about getting closer to Christ.”