Group from diocese went to see the Pope
Made a pilgrimage of a lifetime
By Jay Nies

As hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world gathered with their universal shepherd to worship God, receive Holy Communion, talk, laugh, revel in each other's company and give joyful witness to their faith, Father César Anicama saw a microcosm of everything the Church needs to be.
"It was beautiful. Everybody was smiling, laughing, talking, telling stories," said Fr. Anicama, who led a group of 15 Hispanic Catholics from the Jefferson City diocese to Philadelphia for the Sept. 27 Mass with Pope Francis. "We saw many people praying and crying for joy. It was really powerful to see all of that and hear so many people's testimony."
Catholics from the Columbia, Marshall, Milan and Sedalia parishes drove to Davenport, Iowa, to join people from southeastern Iowa on a 15-hour bus ride to Pennsylvania.
"We were all pretty cramped getting up there, but it was really worth it," said Erick Chinchilla, a member of St. Mary parish in Milan, who traveled with his sister, Bianca.
The pilgrims stopped for the night at Newman University in Aston, Penn., about 24 milesfrom Philadelphia. Fr. Anicama offered Mass at the outdoor grotto there. The group then joined students at the college in watching coverage of the World Festival of Families on a large-screen TV.
"Pope Francis had so many wonderful things to say," said Fr. Anicama. "One thing I wrote down was when he said the family is a factory of hope. That was so beautiful."
He spoke candidly from his own experience of growing up Catholic in Argentina. Many of the pilgrims grew up in similar cultures with similar experiences.
"His words touched our hearts," said Fr. Anicama. "His language was very simple and basic. He talked like he was having a regular conversation — like a friend, like a father, like a pastor."
The next morning, they boarded a train for the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia for the Mass.
They brought with them a wooden cross adorned with symbols from the Jefferson City diocese's Coat of Arms of the words "Misa con Papa Francisco, Filadelfia, 27 de Septiembre del 2015."
The crowds and the security were incredible. He pilgrims waited in line for close to four hours.
Shortly before Mass, Pope Francis passed through the crowd twice in the "Popemobile."
He made eye contact with people from the Jefferson City crowd and blessed their cross as he passed by.
"At the moment we saw Pope Francis, we almost cried because we saw him looking at us and blessing us and smiling. It was a beautiful moment," said Fr. Anicama.
One person standing next to the priest said it was like looking at the face of an angel.
Mr. Chinchilla found Pope Francis' statements about unity and the family to be particularly memorable, especially how he challenged family members to speak softly and compassionately to one another at home.
Mr. Chinchilla was overcome with emotion after receiving Communion at Mass.
"At that moment, I realized how many Catholics were there," he said. "It honestly made me teary-eyed, seeing how we were all there, how we're all there united. It felt really amazing."
Fr. Anicama said the pilgrimage was a great opportunity for people to get to know each other.
"It was beautiful to see God in Pope Francis and in all the people who were there," he said.
He hopes the Pope's visit will get more people to think about God and spend more time with Him in humble prayer.
"Society needs God and needs to pray, and I think people are going to be more aware of that after the time the Pope spent with us," said Fr. Anicama.
He believes traveling to Philadelphia as one of many pilgrims helped strengthen his faith and his priestly vocation.
"We need people to be holy," he said. "We need to hear the testimonies of people who are striving to be holy every day."
Several people thanked him for traveling with them and sharing in the hardships that made seeing Pope Francis possible.
"I'm a new priest, and I'm learning from the people, from the experiences we share," he said. "We were looking to see Pope Francis, to see God's presence in him. I'll always remember that I got to go with the people."
"I want to be like Pope Francis — to be a humble priest, a merciful priest," he added.
Back at home, Mr. Chinchilla is praying for people and families to have the strength and desire to live the way Jesus wants them to live.
"No matter what adversity comes our way, that we would still keep Jesus in our life, keep Him first in our life, that's what we should be praying for always," he said.
Mr. Chinchilla said he loves being Catholic, and seeing the Pope was part of his "bucket list."
"Anyone who gets a chance to do something like this should do it without hesitation," he said. "But I did tell my sister, next time, we're taking a plane!"