Florida Catholic | Lucky Families Receive Scarce Tickets To Papal Mass

Lucky families receive scarce tickets to papal Mass

JENNIFER POWERS | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 04.18.08

ORLANDO | Catholics from the Diocese of Orlando anxiously awaited receipt of tickets to papal Masses in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Tickets arrived just weeks before Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States, which was scheduled to begin April 15 and should by now be in full swing. Before their journey, a few of the ticket holders took time to speak with the Florida Catholic.

Pope Benedict XVI is making his first pastoral visit to the United States, hosted by the Archdiocese of Washington and the Archdiocese of New York. The pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass in Washington April 17 and is scheduled to say Mass in New York on Sunday, April 20, surrounded by the faithful who eagerly awaited news that they had been given a ticket with only their name on it.

The much sought-after Mass tickets are scarce. The Archdiocese of Washington reported that it received more than 150,000 requests for tickets to the historic Mass, for a venue that seats 46,000 people.

“It has always been my dream to see my church leader, the pope, and experience the Mass with him in person,” said Artemis Otaiza of Good Shepherd Parish in Orlando. “Before we even had the tickets,” Otaiza said, “We went ahead and made our airline reservations, putting it in God’s hands.” Just before Palm Sunday, Otaiza’s dream came true as they received the good news.

Artemis Otaiza and her husband, Claudio, are among the few people from the Orlando Diocese who were awarded tickets to the Mass in Washington. For Artemis, going to the Mass expresses the respect and reverence she feels for the priesthood. “It makes me feel as if I am part of the universal church,” she said. “Being in close proximity to the leader, who is on the chair of Peter, brings me closer to the reality of the church.”

The Otaizas are very active in their parish. Artemis is director of liturgy and an organist, while Claudio is the music director. Both provide the music for the diocesan TV Mass in Spanish. Artemis Otaiza is grateful to her pastor, Father Brian Sheridan, whom had been very supportive of her, she said, and instrumental in securing accommodations at the La Salette House in Washington.

The pope was scheduled to land at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington on April 15, where he was scheduled to have been greeted by President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. Two days later, the day after his 81st birthday, Pope Benedict was scheduled to have said Mass at an altar in center field at Washington Nationals Park.

From Washington, the pope was scheduled to head to New York to address the United Nations, celebrate Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and visit Ground Zero. On Sunday, April 20, the first day of the fourth year of his papacy, he will celebrate Mass at an altar set up over second base in Yankee Stadium.

For the New York Mass, more than 200,000 people applied for seats at the 57,000-seat stadium. Michael and Rosanna Callahan and their son, Daniel, will attend, using three of the 100 tickets allotted to the Diocese of Orlando.

“I think I was the first person on the list,” said Michael Callahan. “I was very persistent.” Callahan, a self-proclaimed snowbird from Minnesota who attends St. Patrick Parish in Mount Dora, hastily made travel arrangements after learning his family’s tickets had come through.

A retired hospital administrator, Callahan said that he was fortunate enough to see Pope John Paul II in Phoenix when the pope visited the hospital where Callahan worked.

“It was quite a moving experience,” he said about his encounter. “People, even non-Catholics, were moved to tears. It made you realize that something big was happening there.”

Callahan expects that his experience at the Mass in New York will also be a moving one. “We are running out of great leaders,” Callahan said. “The opportunity for seeing a leader like Pope Benedict is very special.”

He believes that Pope Benedict’s visit will do for the church what the funeral of his predecessor Pope John Paul II did. “The pope’s funeral put a great light on the Catholic Church and so will the visit of Pope Benedict,” Callahan said. “We cannot wait to be a part of it; we are on cloud nine.”

The Callahans are active in right to life, prison ministry and have been catechists at their parish. “I believe after this experience, I will be recharged,” said the 58-year-old Callahan. “I have a lot of life left in me for ministry work.”

For security purposes, as well as to prevent people from selling them, each ticket is individually assigned and nontransferable. Every ticket holder had to submit a copy of his or her driver’s license in advance, and will have to present individual identification and ticket with name on it at the door. The security prescreening of each ticket holder beyond that is unknown. Security, however, will reportedly be tight.

For those in attendance, it is expected to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as many believe that this will be Pope Benedict XVI’s first and last visit to the United States.

“I feel very proud to be representing my parish and diocese,” said Otaiza. “I will do it with the highest honor.”

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