As soon as it was announced that Pope Francis was coming to Philadelphia, Kristin Osenbach knew she wanted to make going a possibility for parishioners at her church.

Osenbach, the director of parish ministries at St. John XXIII Church in Tamaqua, was one of the millions of youth inspired by Pope John Paul II, now a canonized saint. She had gone to several papal events as a teenager and knew how it inspired her.“As soon as I heard (Pope Francis) was coming I thought, ‘We need to go,’ ” Osenbach said.As soon as it was announced that Pope Francis was coming to Philadelphia, Kristin Osenbach knew she wanted to make going a possibility for parishioners at her church.Osenbach, the director of parish ministries at St. John XXIII Church in Tamaqua, was one of the millions of youth inspired by Pope John Paul II, now a canonized saint. She had gone to several papal events as a teenager and knew how it inspired her.“As soon as I heard (Pope Francis) was coming I thought, ‘We need to go,’ ” Osenbach said.She quickly had a full bus and 16 people on a waiting list.Then it was announced that in order to attend the Papal Mass, people would have to walk miles from outlying areas into the city to the event.“I think a lot of people dropped out because of the reality of the walking,” Osenbach said. “I lost half a bus and my 16-person waiting list.”For almost every person who decided not to go, someone else realized they could.“It was like a miracle to me,” said Camille Brown. “I couldn’t find a bus and then I got a call that seats were available.”Brown’s mother had been talking to a repairman who told her about the bus at St. John’s. Brown, her husband, son and mother all went on the trip to see Pope Francis.“It was on my list of things I wanted to do before I meet Him,” said Brown about her bucket list. “I think it was fantastic.”One of the best parts of the day for Camille Brown was near the end. “I never expected to receive Holy Communion,” she said.From Logan Square, where tens of thousands of people filled the park and surrounding sidewalks and roads, to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the Papal Mass was celebrated, it seemed like an insurmountable distance to cross for the priests to reach the crowds of faithful with communion.John Meier, of New Ringgold, echoed Brown’s sentiments. He never thought it would be possible for communion to be brought out to them.“I thought the Mass was unbelievable,” he said.“There were people from so many different countries and states. It shows what the Catholic Church is — the universal church.”In all, people from about 150 countries attended the World Meeting of Families, which was the reason why Pope Francis came to the United States.“He just brings us all together,” Meier said about Pope Francis.Tom Cara, a Tamaqua Borough Council member, said when he looks out into the throngs of people he is marveled at the excitement one man can create.“Is this what it was like in Jesus’ time when he was speaking to the people? So many people searching for him,” Cara said.His wife, Linda Cara, said she wanted to see Pope Francis because she and Tom saw Pope John Paul II give his last blessing from the windows at the Vatican during their trip to Italy in 2004.“Even if I don’t see him, I think it’s a special place,” Linda Cara said. “God bless Pope Francis.”“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Jamie Cavanaugh of Pottsville and a member of St. Nicholas in Minersville.When Pope Francis did pass by the crowds on his way to Mass, Cavanaugh managed to catch a glimpse.“I was standing on my chair struggling to get a video, hoping I wouldn’t break through it,” she said. “It was exciting.”With her was Maggie Caldrone, a student at St. Ambrose School in Schuylkill Haven, “I couldn’t believe it was real.”Another teen on the trip, Izzy Barth, said she thinks Pope Francis’ visit is “one of the coolest things ever.”She came on the trip with her grandmother Marie Barth who didn’t let the walking stop her from coming.“I trained for it,” Marie Barth said. She walked every day up and down her driveway to build up her endurance.“I did it for her.”