This last week has been sad, interesting, prayerful, and faith filled. A mixture of emotions. The week started when I was in Fatima on pilgrimage last Saturday night.
I was taking a walk after dinner when a saw a TV in a shop that was announcing the death of the pope. Immediately I returned to my room to see the news. On my way to my room, I had to pass the Chapel of the Apparition in Fatima. It was amazing: What had been an almost empty chapel when I passed at the beginning of the walk was now filled. I stayed and prayed for a few minutes. The silence was amazing. There were more than 500 people in this space.

The weather was damp and cool but people were there. After about 15 minutes they began to pray the rosary. After the rosary, I returned to my room. On my way there I ran into several people going to the chapel. Several had flowers with them.

When I returned to Rome, the Brothers told me they had gone to St. Peter’s Square on the evening of John Paul’s death. Two things that they relayed to me: After the announcement of his death, there was clapping in the audience. The clapping when someone dies is a custom in Rome. I guess it’s an Italian custom. The other thing that they said was that there was a silence.

There were many, many people in town for the funeral. What is amazing is that we went to try and see the pope’s body on Thursday. We left the house at 4 a.m. and walked to St. John Lateran (about 20 minutes) to catch a bus to St. Peter’s. About 15 buses passed us. They didn’t stop because they were already packed. Not just full, but packed. When we finally arrived at St. Peter’s we waited in line. What was amazing about this line was that there were thousands in line. Yet people were orderly.

There was some chanting and singing in line. Chanting John Paul (in Italian) and John Paul II we love you (English). Singing was usually in Italian or Spanish. One common song was Santa Maria del Camino. This song is “St. Mary of the road, come walk with us.” The line continued to grow to the point where the waiting time was about 24 hours. I ran into one elderly lady on the bus who said she had waited from 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday night until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday morning. The city ran special buses from different parts in the city to St. Peter’s. Many of these buses ran day and night.

Did I get to see the pope? No. Was I disappointed? No. Why? Because the experience of being in line with pilgrims was a true faith experience. I was able to walk, sing, and pray in line. This was my experience of John Paul’s challenge and legacy to us.

Visitors came into the city from all over. At one point, they started telling people that there would be additional screens to view the funeral Mass. There were several additional sites for people to view the funeral. I think there were four sites. Communion was distributed at all of these sites.

The city of Rome distributed free water to people who were waiting to see the pope. At night they distributed blankets. They set up thousands of cots to try and accommodate the visitors. Hotels were full. I heard of one group that had to stay two hours outside the city to have a place to stay.

The Thursday night before the funeral there was a huge prayer service at St. John Lateran. It was dedicated specifically to the young. My understanding is that it was a beautiful service.

The city buses in Rome all had a small banner with the Italian flag colors and a separate banner with the colors for the city of Rome (and the soccer club’s colors as well) on the front of each bus. Each banner had a strip of black. There were many, many signs throughout the city. Not billboards, but advertising signs that are on buildings, etc. Some examples of sayings: Thanks John Paul II, To God (with a picture of the pope), and The city of Rome cries and salutes its father.

Originally, public schools in Rome had said that there would be school on Friday with a moment of silence. After a public outcry, school was cancelled for the day. Certain types of businesses were asked/told to close. For example, movie theaters.

The effect on the city was amazing. It was something just to be here.

Someone asked me: How do I feel right now? I have a sense of awe. I was amazed by the many, many people in town. I am proud for our pope and what he has been able to do -- invite people to approach the Church.

One interesting story is that after the funeral homily and at the end of the Mass, there were signs that said “Santo Subito” which was translated by CNN as “Saint Soon.” The actually feeling of the Italian word “Subito” is more like NOW. I think people are saying that there is a feeling that this man touched people in a special way.