Local youth see new pope

When Pope Benedict XVI made his first foreign trip as pontiff last

week, representatives from St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church

were present.

It was early on a Thursday morning, and group chaperon Bernadette

Chavis had spread out a blanket just feet from a narrow street where

the pope would soon be.

About 60 St. John congregants, many of whom were youth, joined

Chavis and peered over each other’s shoulders as the pontiff arrived.

“When he came around that corner and he turned to us and waved,

everyone’s eyes lighted up,” said Chavis, a Costa Mesa resident who

went on the trip with her two daughters.

They listened to Pope Benedict XVI as he gave his opening remarks

at the 20th annual World Youth Day, a six-day religious celebration

that includes prayer sessions, ceremonies, classes and social events.

From this group, about 90 people represented the Diocese of Orange

at the event this year in Cologne, Germany. St. John the Baptist

church brought the largest contingency in its history. The group also

included other Orange County church congregants and musician Tony

Melendez.

After a two-and-a-half-week trip that took the travelers on a

pilgrimage through Europe, they returned earlier this week with a

wealth of stories.

The journey began in Poland with a visit to Auschwitz and a trip

to the late Pope John Paul II’s birthplace.

“Because many people had gone to past World Youth Day events, this

was a way of saying goodbye to the pope,” said Father Martin Benzoni,

the pastor at St. John the Baptist.

Each day of the trip, the travelers participated in mass at a

different church.

After a stop in the Czech Republic, the group arrived in Cologne,

where they joined more than 1 million other visitors.

The scene was “like a Christian Woodstock,” Chavis said.

On Saturday evening, the group huddled together to listen to Pope

Benedict XVI’s vigil. They camped out overnight on a field outside

Cologne and awoke at dawn to hear the pope say Sunday Mass.

Natalie Pena, 16, a St. John church member, said the overnight

stay was the highlight of the trip.

“There were people as far as you could see,” Pena said. “Going

through the cold and wet weather and seeing everyone up and ready to

hear from the pope, it was exciting that we were all there for the

same reason.”

Added Kent Morton, a 16-year-old Costa Mesa resident: “It feels

good to know there are so many other Catholics out there who speak

the same language.”

The youth from St. John church started raising money for the trip

two years ago and brought in more than $35,000 to cover travel costs,

the Diocese of Orange reported.

Chavis said her family raised about $9,000 in three years by

working in Angel Stadium concession stands and holding yard sales.

The trip cost about $13,000, she said.

Chavis had gone to World Youth Day in 2000 and 2002.

“I thought nothing could ever touch the past trips, hearing John

Paul II speak,” she said. “He was one-of-a-kind. No one will ever

replace him. But this pope is every bit as worldly. His message

touched the youth ... and brought our family closer together.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

o7elia.powers@latimes.comf7.