and going into the church. Being with thousands of Catholics
and non-Catholics was so special; it felt like one giant family. It
was amazing to see how people came together for this special
event! Members of the Kennedy family, Jeb Bush, David Muir
and many other political figures and celebrities were there. Even
though the Pope was speaking in Spanish, I could feel the impact
of what he was saying and his message of love will stick with me
forever. The Mass lasted about two hours, and those were two of
the most spectacular hours of each of our lives. It was definitely
worth the six hours in the sun. We were on multiple live feeds
of the canonization, including CNN and FOX news, which
was awesome because so many people from home were able to
see us. After the Mass we participated in phone interviews with
Sacramento radio and TV stations and then went out to dinner.
I don’t know if it was because we were all starving, but that was
the best Italian food I have ever had. Thinking back on that day,
I still can’t believe that we saw Pope Francis canonize a Saint for
the first time in the United States.
Thursday, September 24: Even though the canonization was
over, our adventures wer e not! Our day started with Mass at the
Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America for a Mass
of Thanksgiving for Saint Junipero Serra. People from Saint
Serra’s home town were there, as well as other Franciscans and
other invited guests. The Monastery replicates many of the
sites of the Holy Land. There we spoke to Father Ken from
Saint Francis Parish in Sacramento (my parish) and he told us
how he delivered the plea of canonization to Pope Francis. He
also gave us relics of Saint Junipero Serra! (Another scrapbook
item!) At the brunch after the Mass, we sat with two nuns
from Wisconsin, two of the most insightful, outgoing, and
spectacular women I have ever met. I loved hearing their stories
about their journeys in life. After that we went to Georgetown
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to have dinner with some alumnae who live in the area. We then
walked with alumnae Tashi De Sousa ’13 and Aly Pachter ’15 to
Georgetown University where they gave us a quick tour and lots
of practical advice about college. That night is when we bonded a
lot. We stayed up talking for many hours which probably wasn’t
a good thing, but after that, I knew these girls were going to be
my friends for a long time. Also I think this was the day Clare
got lost (and found!) on the metro.
Friday, September 25: Friday was the busiest day of the whole
trip. We had a rough start and a bittersweet ending. Waking up
late put us a little behind schedule. Our first stop was breakfast
at the same neighborhood diner. Second was the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum, which was absolutely aweinspiring. When I first arrived, I was given the name of a person
who lived during the holocaust. At the end of the tour, I learned
that my person perished in Auschwitz. The museum included
many things that helped visitors get a feel of what life was like
for Jews during World War II, which helped me learn more
about the holocaust. I think we could have spent the whole day
there because it was so moving. Next we visited the Capitol and
House of Representatives to meet with U.S. Congressman Ami
Bera. After we met with him, we had a private guided tour of
the U.S. Capitol. We were there when John Boehner resigned
from his role as Speaker of the House. We nearly were run over
by paparazzi and news crews rushing into the press conference.
Flying home was when it really hit me that I just experienced all
of these amazing things. I was excited to be home but I was sad to
leave the city I fell in love with, and be away from the people that
shared this amazing journey with me. This trip changed my life
and will be something I’ll remember forever. I am thankful for St.
Francis Catholic High School, my parents, and my grandparents
for giving me the opportunity to experience the trip of a lifetime!