Email: "Local woman meets pope at the Vatican"
*To:		<--TO Email REQUIRED!
*From:		<--FROM Email REQUIRED!

Last month, Janet Dell Freeman of Tiffin spent a week in Rome, Italy, on her first trip to the Eternal City. When Pope Benedict appeared in St. Peter Square, Freeman was given a seat on the platform with the pontiff.

Even more remarkable, she was able to hold the pope’s hand while she spoke to him as a representative of Serra International Foundation, which the Vatican recognizes as the global lay apostolate for vocations in the Catholic Church.

“It’s a wonderful foundation … and a great bunch of men to work with,” Freeman said.

The 13-member board includes men from Thailand, Italy, Nigeria and the United States. Serra clubs around the world contribute to the foundation, headquartered in Chicago, Ill. The board oversees the foundation’s corpus of $3.2 million.

Freeman became a trustee in 2003. Now she is about to complete a year’s term as the board president. She is to remain on the board in 2008 as past president. Freeman’s duties included scheduling a location for the group’s annual board meeting and presenting checks from the foundation to various beneficiaries.

“I was the first woman to ever to serve on this board and the first woman to chair it,” Freeman said. “The amount we gave out last year for vocation activities worldwide was $212,000. That includes the reason I went to Rome. We had a grant for $10,000 for the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for his private vocation activities. We also had a yearly grant — we established a scholarship fund — at the Pontifical North American College in Rome … for $20,000.”

The Serra representatives stayed at a hotel a 10-minute walk from the Vatican. Freeman marveled at the white stripe painted during World War II to mark the boundaries of Vatican City. As long as Pius XII stayed behind the line, he could not be harmed. Each morning, they attended Mass at 7 a.m. in “the hush and the dark” of the lower level of St. Peter basilica.

“It really reminded me of the Tower of Babel. You hear the other Masses going on and hear the people singing and praying in these different languages,” Freeman said.

On the day of the audience, the group was to report to their places at 9 a.m. Pilgrims already were crowding the grounds. An estimated 60,000 were there that day.

“What a crush. They’re all trying to get in those gates and you have to go through security. … I’ve never been so crushed in my life,” Freeman said.

The foundation was allowed to have two people on the platform, Freeman and the international president of the organization. Freeman said 24 groups were making check presentations that day.

Legatis, a group of Catholic business executives, also was in Rome. Two members spoke to Freeman and said they were familiar with Tiffin and Heidelberg College. Tom Monihan, representing a college in Florida, stood next to Freeman.

From the platform, Freeman said she could see security atop the circle surrounding the piazza. She also was able to watch the piazza fill up with people from all over the world, awaiting the appearance of the pope.

“It really was a very, very thrilling thing. There were groups out there singing, some of them were performing. … There were banners and flags waving,” Freeman said.

When the pope appeared in the “popemobile,” Freeman said a great cry went up from the crowd. Aisles had been set up all through the piazza, and the pontiff drove through them all, waving and smiling. The vehicle then drove up a ramp to transport the Holy Father directly to the platform where all could see him.

“Before the presentation, began, we all sang the ‘Our Father’ in Latin,” she said. “We sang ‘Pater Noster’ in chant. That was just beautiful to hear everyone sing together in one language.”

Then it was time for Freeman’s meeting with the pope. She and the other presenters had been briefed to address him as “Most Holy Father.” The customary protocol is for the pope to take each person’s hand, and each is to kiss his ring. Freeman said she introduced herself as an ambassador of the International Serra Foundation. She also gave him a greeting from her 10-year-old grandson, who asked her to say ‘hi’ to the pope.

“He nodded and smiled and thanked me,” Freeman said. “He speaks to you individually. He looks right at you. He doesn’t hurry. He takes his time. … He looks directly at you and speaks as if there were no one else around you.”

From the podium, an announcer recognized all the groups of pilgrims in attendance that day. The readings were done in six languages. After that, the pope also spoke in those languages.

“The message the Holy Father gives is an instruction. It’s a very beautiful message, and each group is able to hear it in their own language. When they call the names of the countries that are there, some of the groups stand up and sing. … It’s quite a celebration,” Freeman said.

When the pontiff gave his apostolic blessing, he included the families of all present. He also blessed religious articles pilgrims had brought. Freeman had bought rosaries for her grandchildren and holy water for her sister. Freeman was amazed when the pope thanked everyone for coming.

“It’s just a magnificent experience. I was very honored and privileged to be able to make the presentation,” Freeman said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience … and it’s as fresh in my memory as the day I was there.”

While in Rome, Freeman and other Serrans visited a number of historical and religious sites, including the tombs of the late Pope John Paul II and St. Peter himself.

“You just stand and think, I am standing this close to one of the disciples of Christ, the Rock of the church, and think how real it all is.”

That reality hit home even more when Freeman visited with Phillip Smith and Andy Haines of Tiffin. The young men are Calvert High School graduates who currently are studying at the Pontifical North American College.

“It truly is the Eternal City,” Freeman said. “You can feel the faith when you’re in Rome.”

 

Subscribe to The Advertiser-Tribune

Share: