Replies

In 1979 I was a junior at JFK Catholic high school in Somers, NY.

When the Holy Father came to New York that October he went to Madison Square Garden for a Youth Concert. The NY archdiocese gave tickets to all the Catholic high schools in the NY area. My buddy and I went...to get the day off from school and hang out in the city. I did it with my mothers blessings...who thought I would be praying with the Pope all day.

The further away from NYC your school was the further upstairs you sat- hence the dozen kids from my high school who went were as far away as possible- My buddy and I snuck downstairs and sat in a stairwell. I told him, "When they introduce the Pope it will be total mayhem-we will then run to the front and get as close as we can".

Soon after that they made an announcement, "Ladies and Gentlemen-Boys and Girls...his holiness Pope John Paul the second"...my buddy and I rushed to the front.

The Garden went berserk as he came out in his Pope mobile at the time- a white pick-up truck in which he stood in the back.

Miraculously the Pope stopped right in front of us! A young girl was lifted from the crowd, put on the hood of the truck and, holding both her hands, the Pope made like he was dancing with her....it turned out that young girl's father was a NYPD detective who died in the line of duty six months earlier.

When my buddy and I crashed towards the front we ended up standing right next to that young girl and her mother. We were no more then ten feet from the Pontiff!!! We were all over the TV news that night and on the covers of every newspaper the next day.

Two weeks prior to seeing the Pope at the Garden I was in the arena to see a concert by "The Who"...I must tell you, the Pope was better!

Early this evening, after leaving "Dora the Explorer Live" at Radio City Music Hall, my two year old daughter and myself went to St Pat's in a torrential downpour to light a candle and say a prayer for the Holy Father.

When I came home I pulled out the ticket stub from the 1979 Youth Concert I attended almost 26 years ago, still in perfect condition...I showed it to my wife and asked, "How much do you think I could get for this on EBay?" She replied, "a whole lot!"

It will never leave my house....

Wow..
just read your entry regarding "Youth In Concert with JPJ II.. Yeah, I lived in Dutchess County (public School). Our parish held a "lottery" (which I didn't know I entered) and I was fortunate to be at Madison Square Garden as well..
Man! that was incredible. I have never been in a louder coliseum!

PJPII was a fantastic Pope, and he will surely be missed.
Anyway, I happened to know some of the presenters and one of the Guitarists that were on the floor! (I had been active in CYO).

One slight funny thing.. I had my "Kodak instamatic" camera loaded with 12 shots with me. My dad (who also was present, but sat in a totally different section from me) had "lectured" me about not taking all the pics at once.. He told me to spread 'em out when taking them...bla bla bla.. Anyway, As soon as the Popemobile pulled out, My dad ran over in hysterics, grabbed the camera and dissapeared.. My 2 friends thought it was a stranger taking the camera.. Anyway, we got the pictures back. The Pope never made it around the arena (but the pictures make a great flip film!)
My dad and I still laugh about it to this day.. and we've certainly cherished the moment,

As you have, I've got my ticket stub. It will remain in the family!