Nashville Diocese Buses Teens To Catch A Glimpse Of Pope Francis On Whirlwind Trip

Ninety-one Middle Tennessee teenagers and chaperones are making a 32-hour trip to see the leader of their faith in person. 

The group traveling to see Pope Francis in Washington, D. C. includes youth from Hendersonville, Franklin, Clarksville and Old Hickory as well as Father Ryan and Pope John Paul II schools.

The two busloads are driving straight through to the U.S. Capitol and straight back Thursday. They’ll have just a few hours in D.C. to watch the Pope’s speech to Congress on jumbotrons and catch a glimpse afterwards when he appears to the crowd outside.

Several members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation gave the Diocese of Nashville their allotment of tickets to attend on the capitol lawn. Organizer Bill Staley of the Catholic Youth Office says the diocese wanted to pass them on to people young enough that their lives could be changed by the experience. And, he says, this pope has already made a sharp impact on teenagers.

“No other generation has been able to have direct messages from the Holy Father come into their pockets onto their cell phones,” Staley says.

Some of the students are surely hoping for an experience like teacher Kate McGee had. She and her husband were among a group of newlyweds blessed by Pope Francis during their  honeymoon  in Rome. They were surprised when he personally greeted each couple. McGee was bold enough to ask for a hug (“because he’s so awesome”) and was thrilled to get it.

This pope has captured the attention of many non-Catholics in what some have interpreted as major shifts in direction for the Vatican. But McGee is careful to clarify that she doesn’t think this pope is radically altering the Catholic message.

“He hasn’t really changed anything in terms of what we believe. He’s just done a more loving job of explaining,” she says.

The teenagers making the bus trip are not the only Nashville Catholics getting closer to the Holy Father during his US visit. Bishop David Choby attended a meeting of U.S. Bishops and a canonization service at the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception on Wednesday.

Father Joseph Breen will be in the balcony during the pope’s congressional speech as a guest of Nashville Representative Jim Cooper.

Several members of the diocese will be at the World Families Congress in Pennsylvania, including Choby and Mother Ann Marie Karlovic of the St. Cecilia Congregation. She’ll be leading a breakout session at the gathering.

Brian Latimer contributed to this report.