TJ Dygert is about to experience for a second time, something he thought would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Photo provided.
Papal visit.
Papal visit.
He will be going to see Pope Benedict XVI today, this time in New York City.
Dygert, a senior at Tyburn Academy of Mary Immaculate, traveled to Rome, Italy, shortly after Pope Benedict had ascended to the papacy and was so close to him at the Vatican he could have touched his hand.
That experience was so moving to him, he said, that he would not pass up another opportunity to be in his presence.
Today, Dygert, his parents and sister will join thousands of Catholics at Yankee Stadium in welcoming the pope to
America for his first papal voyage here.
“I'm really excited about this,” he said. “To be a part of history, it's something that me and my family will remember forever. Being able to see the pope together and being able to be a part of something that is a big national headline, that is an opportunity we've never had before and may never have again, so it's a memorable experience.”
Yankee Stadium marks the end of the pope's six-day visit to the United States, during which he led a Mass at Nationals Park in Washington D.C., met with President George Bush at the White House, talked to Catholic educators at Catholic University of America, prayed at ground zero in Lower Manhattan and addressed the United Nations.
Dygert said he heard about the visit six months ago and managed to get his hands on four tickets the pope's stop at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
“In my lifetime the Pope has never been to America, and I was very excited about the fact that he was coming so close to where I live,” he said. “That was also something special.”
Laura Ponticello and her husband Carl Grivner, both of Skaneateles, got the chance to see the Holy Father at the White House last week. In one word, Ponticello said the experience was “unbelievable.”
“The energy and charisma in the atmosphere even before he arrived was really an unbelievable feeling,” she said. “I met people from various parts of the United States, people who traveled from afar to come in and see the pope.”
Sitting in the third row, Ponticello said silence overcame the 9,000 people in attendance when the pope emerged from the car.
“As soon as he stood out, everybody said 'I love you Holy Father. Happy 81st birthday.' And then the whole crowd started singing in unison 'Happy Birthday,'” she said.
“Tears were streaming down my face because the atmosphere was really filled with overwhelming reverence and spirituality of being present right there at that moment,” she continued.
Dygert said seeing the pope at the Vatican was a spiritually powerful event, and he expects the same to be true for both he and his family this time.
“They are excited to be able to grow as a family spiritually by this first-hand encounter with Pope Benedict,” he said. We are all looking forward to that.“
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
Dygert, a senior at Tyburn Academy of Mary Immaculate, traveled to Rome, Italy, shortly after Pope Benedict had ascended to the papacy and was so close to him at the Vatican he could have touched his hand.
That experience was so moving to him, he said, that he would not pass up another opportunity to be in his presence.
Today, Dygert, his parents and sister will join thousands of Catholics at Yankee Stadium in welcoming the pope to
America for his first papal voyage here.
“I'm really excited about this,” he said. “To be a part of history, it's something that me and my family will remember forever. Being able to see the pope together and being able to be a part of something that is a big national headline, that is an opportunity we've never had before and may never have again, so it's a memorable experience.”
Yankee Stadium marks the end of the pope's six-day visit to the United States, during which he led a Mass at Nationals Park in Washington D.C., met with President George Bush at the White House, talked to Catholic educators at Catholic University of America, prayed at ground zero in Lower Manhattan and addressed the United Nations.
Dygert said he heard about the visit six months ago and managed to get his hands on four tickets the pope's stop at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
“In my lifetime the Pope has never been to America, and I was very excited about the fact that he was coming so close to where I live,” he said. “That was also something special.”
Laura Ponticello and her husband Carl Grivner, both of Skaneateles, got the chance to see the Holy Father at the White House last week. In one word, Ponticello said the experience was “unbelievable.”
“The energy and charisma in the atmosphere even before he arrived was really an unbelievable feeling,” she said. “I met people from various parts of the United States, people who traveled from afar to come in and see the pope.”
Sitting in the third row, Ponticello said silence overcame the 9,000 people in attendance when the pope emerged from the car.
“As soon as he stood out, everybody said 'I love you Holy Father. Happy 81st birthday.' And then the whole crowd started singing in unison 'Happy Birthday,'” she said.
“Tears were streaming down my face because the atmosphere was really filled with overwhelming reverence and spirituality of being present right there at that moment,” she continued.
Dygert said seeing the pope at the Vatican was a spiritually powerful event, and he expects the same to be true for both he and his family this time.
“They are excited to be able to grow as a family spiritually by this first-hand encounter with Pope Benedict,” he said. We are all looking forward to that.“
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
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