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The Pontifical North American College was requested two deacons for the Mass with the Holy Father for the closing of the Synod of Bishops 12th Ordinary General Assembly on the Word of God.
I was chosen with another deacon, Dc. Nick Schneider from the Diocese of Bismark, from the college through a lottery process. We were two deacons among ten others from various colleges in Rome. We did not know our roles until the practice the day before the Mass. Dc. Schneider and I were given the task of distributing Holy Communion to many of the cardinals, patriarchs and bishops present, around 250 synod fathers.
As a newly ordained deacon it was an exciting and very cherished opportunity to serve our Holy Father and many bishops who came for the Synod from all over the earth in the unique, pilgrimage Basilica of St. Peter's, which is dedicated to the Universal Church for those who come to venerate the tomb and relics of St. Peter.
It is a very special honor to have been chosen. I have lived very close to Pope Benedict for three years now, our college only located ten minutes away from the Vatican City, yet I have only come physically close to him on rare occasions.
For example, I arrived three to four hours early for midnight Mass one Christmas in order to get in position that I might be ten feet away from him as he processed to the altar. Contrary to what most might think, very infrequently is our college asked for acolytes, lectors or deacons for Papal Masses.
I did not have any contact with Pope Benedict during the liturgy but I did have the tremendous blessing of meeting him after the Mass in the back of the basilica near Michelangelo's magnificent statue called the Pieta' depicting Mary holding her crucified Son.
Shaking with excitement, I knelt to reverence his ring (which is a sign of his office as the Vicar of Christ, the successor to St. Peter), kissing it and then I told him: "Your Holiness, I am from the United States. You are a wonderful pastor and we love you". I was able to tell him one more time "we love you" before I was whisked away by guards in order to keep the greeting line moving.
I received a very beautiful rosary from him and later acquired a great photograph of our meeting.
It was an experience of a lifetime serving as a deacon for the Papal Liturgy and meeting our loving Shepherd, whom I consider a genius and a treasure for today.
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