Seeing the pope 'something special' for suburban Catholics

They stood for hours in a crowd of more than 20,000 people on the U.S. Capitol's west lawn just to watch Thursday's live Jumbotron broadcast of Pope Francis' speech to Congress inside.

“Then he came out on the balcony, and we could see him. Oh my gosh. The whole place (outside) just erupted, like pandemonium,” said Lee Gaul, an architect from Algonquin, who was in the crowd with his wife, Diane. “You really felt something special.”

Gaul was one of many suburban Catholics who traveled to Washington to be part of Thursday's historic event, with many using tickets from local members of Congress to access a cordoned-off Jumbotron viewing area outside the Capitol.

We spoke to some of the suburban residents in that area about what it was like, what the pope's message meant to them, and the interesting things they saw.

The atmosphere

Security was tight, as expected, with several checkpoints along the way, but suburban spectators said everything was well-organized. They saw some protesters, but most in the crowd walked past rather than engaging them.

Gaul said he saw a guy holding a sign that said “Is Pope Francis the Antichrist?” and heard someone in the distance shouting into a bullhorn while the pope spoke.

“I thought, 'Well, I guess this is the land of the free,'” Gaul said.

Everyone was taking cellphone photos and videos. The crowd scowled at one person whose phone rang loudly during the pope's speech, but the rest of the time, everyone was joyful, helpful and friendly.

People struck up conversations with those around them to pass the time. The Breuss family, from Crystal Lake, met people from around the world.

“Everyone is the face of Christ,” said Jenna Breuss, 9.

People in the crowd collectively suffered from sore feet and backs from standing for hours, but they all agreed it was worth it.

“We want to praise all the diligent workers in Washington, D.C., for their hospitality, especially the unnamed neighbors that offered directions, offered a seat on the metro, and shared a hug because of the joy in their heart,” Kathy Breuss said.

The wait

Getting to the Capitol, or securing a position to watch the pope drive past, required a lot of walking, standing and waiting. There were already more than 10,000 people around the Capitol by 7:30 a.m., even though the pope's speech wasn't until 10 a.m.

Joanna Medwick of Campton Hills waited for four hours just to see Pope Francis drive by Wednesday, which she described as “difficult but worth it.” She ended up being less than 10 feet away from the Holy Father when he drove past.

“I couldn't believe how close he was to us,” she said.

The message

Suburban residents in the crowd agreed that the pope's message was perfect. While they weren't surprised he talked about the need to care for others and live peacefully, they didn't expect him to bring up things like technology and what it's doing to our lives.

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, of Plano, said he especially liked the pope's reference to Abraham Lincoln's message of freedom and liberty for all.

“He hooked us right away with that,” he said of the Illinois contingent, adding that the pope's words were inspiring to people of all faiths.

“I feel like people were hanging on every word he said,” Hultgren said. “It was powerful, even as he walked in. He's not a big person, but there's a warmth there. And there's a clear love for God and people that you can sense in him, his words, and how he presented things.”

The take-away

Spectators said the speech strengthened their faith in the Catholic Church. Kathy Breuss said it reminded her family to be joyful in their encounters with people, which is the “living” gospel.

“He strengthened our faith in simplicity, humility and joy to be with the people,” she said. “It will be an unforgettable memory shared as a family and for our daughter, who delivered cards made with love by students from St. Thomas School.”

Hultgren said the pope's “servant's heart” will stick with him.

“There was so much in his message that I will continue to think about and look for ways to use that, to be better at what I do,” he said.

Local reaction to pope

• “BOY HOWDY!!!” Lee Gaul, of Algonquin, when asked via email if the pope's speech strengthened his faith.

• “We can all learn from his message of compassion and dedication to faith-based empowerment,” — U.S. Rep. Robert Dold of Kenilworth.

• “May we take his message of unity and cooperation to heart.” – U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk of Highland Park.

• “Our experience was memorable and filled with joy!” – Kathy Breuss, of Crystal Lake, on being in the crowd.

• “We need to take up his call to make sure (America) remains a place for everyone to succeed.” – U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren of Plano.