From Heaven, with Love: My Second Home, Lourdes, France
Pope Francis, General Audience September 18, 2013
Jill Frankenberry
In 1967 at age 19, I traveled around Europe. I walked the entire city of Rome day and night. The city was quite different then. I remember walking into St. Peter’s Basilica through the front doors, stepping into a totally lit Basilica. Pope Paul VI passed directly in front of me, carried on an elaborate chair resting on the shoulders of many men.
My next visit since then was in September 2013. It is now more heavily populated with thousands of tourists. There is an elaborate security system to enter the grounds of the Vatican and the Basilica. A priest traveled with us. I attended Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in a wonderful underground chapel. We passed a large group of monks who were chanting Mass in Latin. This was a rare opportunity.
The highlight of this trip, and the reason I made this pilgrimage, was because of Pope Francis. He had been elected February of that year. I needed to see this “revolutionary” man of God with my own eyes.
The chairs (into the thousands) are set up beginning on Monday. The entire of St. Peter’s Square is filled with them, yellow tape roping off sections, and a “maze” of “passage” for the Pope’s vehicle. Our tour guide directed us to seats allowing a very close view as the Pope passed. This experience is arduous, beginning early in the morning on very long lines, through security, and then to the seating area. We took our seats immediately adjacent to the yellow rope because Pope Francis passes up and down, in and out, missing no opportunity to greet people. It was a beautiful sunny day; September is the best time of year to visit Europe. Wearing a wide brimmed hat, I was comfortable and very excited.
Pope Francis was scheduled to begin his passage at 10:30AM, but he began fifteen minutes earlier. The entire Square was full and the crowd was spilling out onto the road and sidewalk outside of Vatican City. This Pope has enormous crowds awaiting his audience, historic in size.
When the Pope makes his appearance, a loud gong is sounded for the entire time he is moving. They begin it the moment he steps into his vehicle and do not stop until he has reached the podium (far, far away if you are in the back of the crowd); it is repeated when he leaves the podium to re-enter the Basilica. There are enormous screens set up at various places so he can be very well seen as he makes his way around the Square and especially as he gives his homily. I was blessed to see him up close and personal. When he passed me, had I reached out my hand I could almost have touched him and certainly, had he decided to do so, he would have been able to direct his vehicle a bit closer so as to reach out and touch me. He did this many times, mostly for children, whom he appears to love.
A simple white garment and a pewter cross is what he wore. He was not adorned in the manner of Pope Paul VI, in gilded robes with a large hat and gold cross. This is a simple man and he intends to remain that way. We were told that he has not moved into the Papal apartments but rather chooses to live more simply in a small house behind the Basilica.
Here he came, full of joy and love, wanting to embrace every single person had he been able to do this. Surrounding him was personal security, a group of men dressed in black. Every single one of them was laughing and smiling because of the enormous love that poured from the huge crowd. The love for this Pope was palpable, the Spirit was intensely present in that place, and the man himself did as Christ did, he had no special protection, no barrier between himself and the people. As he passed me, I shouted “Papa!” and he looked right at me and smiled. This was an amazing moment.
Is Pope Francis everything he is said to be? I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it, and the answer is: yes.
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About the Author
I was born in Manhattan and raised in Greenwich Village. At age five, I had double pneumonia and (what was later, in my adulthood, diagnosed as pericarditis). I was too ill to be put into the hospital. At that time (1952-1953) there were no pediatric wards. One day I had a near death experience. I saw the Blessed Mother (I called her the Blessed Mommy as a young child and was quite devoted to her). She warned me about my life; she told me it would be quite difficult, that my heart would be “broken”, and that God would never abandon me. The experience is impossible to relate except to say this: there was a “glow” around her that was physical; her voice was not merely a voice, it was the single most soothing sound: ocean waves, symphonies, can’t even describe it. My earthly mother saw me in this condition and shook me violently. I remember this vividly. I opened my eyes and said to her, “Leave me alone. I want to stay with the lady.” She and I discussed this many times during my adult life. That vision, NDE, or whatever it was, changed my life. I knew something cataclysmic would occur in my lifetime; I always thought it would be a worldwide event. I was wrong: it was a personal event. Without the Blessed Mother’s assurance, I would not have survived that personal event.
At age nine, my father left. When I was 10 years of age, he died mysteriously. My earth mother then passed me on to my Aunt and Grandmother who lived on Sullivan Street in Little Italy (the west part of Little Italy). Across the street was the shrine church of Saint Anthony, who has become a lifelong friend and has done many amazing things in my life. I attended the St. Anthony school and then went on to parochial high school.
I have travelled a great deal in my lifetime. In the past two years, I have been to Europe four times: Papal General Audience 9/18/2013; Paris, sacred shrines (Nevers, Lisieux, etc.), Lourdes (three times), Fatima once. Last September I spent the entire month in Italy and stayed five days and nights in Lourdes because the mother of Jesus is also my mother.
I have had visions my entire life (no, I am not mentally ill; of this I am certain). I have seen things, been given information intended only for me, and have had miraculous occurrences that are almost impossible to believe.
I lost my only child, my daughter April, on March 2, 2011. The timing involved and the date itself, as well as her age at the time (23), corresponded with the number the Blessed Mother gave me at my age five: 23. I would like to share some of these remarkable events to help strengthen the faith of anyone who is in need. I thank you for the opportunity to do so.
I have recently a published book of poetry, "The Milky Way Streets"
