Working for the Church can have its benefits and I’m not talking about all the grace and indulgences we accumulate for our daily labors. The latest gift from the diocese is an invitation to all its employees, including those at the Catholic Migration Office, the Administrative Offices of Catholic Charities, and the Catholic Cemeteries Office to attend the departure ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday, April 20.

The Holy Father, who will be making his first visit to the United States as Pope Benedict XVI, will arrive in Washington, D.C., on April 15. In the nation’s capital, he will have an opportunity to meet with President George W. Bush, pray at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and celebrate Mass in the new Washington National’s baseball park.

He arrives in the Brooklyn Diocese on Friday morning, April 18, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens. There, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and other church and state officials will formally welcome the pope to New York City.

The reason for the activity will be the pope’s address to the United Nations later on Friday. While here, the Holy Father will visit Ground Zero, attend a youth rally in Yonkers, and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium.

But the highlight, as far as local Catholics are concerned, will be the arrival and departure ceremonies which will occur in our diocese.

To attend a papal ceremony is a privilege in itself. To be invited to Kennedy Airport to see off the pope is extra special. First of all, the crowd of about 3,000 will be a relatively intimate one and should provide excellent up-close views of Benedict.

To be sure, there will be lots of security, as there always is for a visit from the pope. No one will be permitted at the departure unless he or she has been invited. Those who have already been asked to be there, have been required to fill out a sheet of paper with personal information so that non-transferable tickets can be issued.

Security Precautions

While the pope is not scheduled to leave until 8 p.m., everyone will be required to be in place two hours before because of security purposes. Transportation to and from the airport is still under discussion, but no one should figure on driving to the venue.

The scene will be a multi-cultural one since the people who work for the diocese are truly reflective of the inhabitants of Brooklyn and Queens. It is expected that the people gathered at the airport will be able to watch the Yankee Stadium Mass via large screen TV set-up.

Anyone who has attended a papal event in the past can appreciate all the security that is taken to protect the Holy Father. In 1995, when Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, the only time a pope has celebrated the liturgy in this diocese, attendees had to show up in the wee hours of a pre-sunrise morning.

No one seemed to mind. Indeed, most people reveled in the adventure of something new and exciting. As they waited for the pope to arrive, they prayed and sang songs. When his white helicopter finally circled the track, there was bedlam in the stands in anticipation of the pontiff’s arrival.

When he finally set down on the turf, the pope wanted to make a run in the Popemobile around the oval, but the heavy rains of the previous night prevented it. Instead, he bounded up onto the stage, to wave to the admiring throng that had waited hours for a look at perhaps the most famous face in the world.

John Paul II is a hard act to follow. Pope Benedict has shown that he is his own person and has his own style when it comes to international trips, of which this will be his eighth. Be sure, however, that he will respond to every shout of joy that will ring out throughout the airport structure.

Plans Not Finalized

Final plans have not been announced yet. Local school bands and choirs will be asked to participate in the ceremony. They will be published on these pages as they are finalized and become public — perhaps as early as next week’s edition.

Pope Benedict is expected to address the crowd at the airport and his farewell will certainly be dramatic. As he takes off to return back to the Vatican, the last words ringing in his ears will be the good wishes of the Church in Brooklyn and Queens. What better last impression of the Church in the United States could he have!