After being unsuccessful booking a ticket online to the Papal Mass I reached out to the Archdiocese. I received an email on Saturday afternoon saying four tickets were available, so my daughter and I decided to take a road trip.
En route we experienced God’s glory through nature while appreciating numerous national and provincial parks.
When we arrived in Edmonton we were able to accommodate a mother and daughter who had travelled from Saskatoon hoping to find tickets. Since we arrived early at Commonwealth Stadium we were able to connect with many people and our faith grew while experiencing everyone’s joy, excitement, and spiritual convictions.
When Pope Francis arrived the roar from the crowd was exuberant and God’s presence was palpable.
We also had the honour of meeting Indigenous leader Phil Fontaine, who shared with us that although he still struggles with his experiences with residential schools, God taught him that forgiveness was necessary so he can experience the truth and reconciliation he is looking for.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience greatly strengthened my faith and brought me closer to God and to my daughter. We both agree that our spiritual beliefs matured and grew exponentially on this sacred journey.
Karen Phillips is a parishioner at St. Joseph’s, Port Moody.
