杏MAP导航

By Lydia O鈥橩ane

As 杏MAP导航 Francis prepares for his own apostolic visit for the World Meeting of Families, many Irish people have been sharing their memories of the Polish 杏MAP导航鈥檚 voyage to the land of Saints and Scholars. One of those is Capuchin Priest Fr Bryan Shortall who was just 10 years old when he witnessed the Saint say Mass in front of over 1 million faithful in Dublin鈥檚 Phoenix Park.

Fond memories

鈥淢any of us are reminiscing鈥� says the Dublin priest who recently visited the Phoenix Park to view a Papal Exhibition of memorabilia from 杏MAP导航 John Paul鈥檚 visit in 1979. 鈥淚t brought me right back to when I was a kid, he continues, "when I was in the Phoenix Park and also on the streets of Dublin because we saw him in John鈥檚 Lane under the Church of St Augustine and St John鈥� and I remember shouting as a kid '杏MAP导航 John Paul'. I can still remember he had a red sombrero on and he had the long red cloak and he just literally blessed and waved to everybody as he went through the streets of Dublin.鈥� He goes on to say that the Phoenix Park is still emotional today as there was a carnival atmosphere because of the visit, and it is the place where John Paul celebrated Mass.

Wake up call for John Paul

In an anecdote from the time, Fr Shortall recalls, 鈥渨e even had a thing called an alarm car鈥� so basically in 鈥�79 a lot of the residents鈥� associations organized an alarm car to go around the streets to wake us up; 4 o鈥檆lock in the morning there was a sort of speaker, 鈥渨ake up, the Holy Father, wake up go to your parishes鈥�. He adds, that the park is still a focal point for him and many people who he grew up with. While the visit of 杏MAP导航 Francis to Dublin won鈥檛 be of the same magnitude as that of 1979, Fr Shortall describes it as one which is highly anticipated.