Just after midnight Thursday, seven St. Vincent College students will board a van bound for New York City, the first leg of a trip that ultimately will land them in Yankee Stadium on April 20 for a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.
Accompanying the students will be the Rev. Vincent Zidek, a Benedictine monk and director of campus ministry; campus minister Katie Wojtunik and the Rev. Thomas Curry, pastor of St. Vincent Basilica Parish.
"Who's excited?" Zidek asked Friday during a planning meeting.
All hands rose.
The students will be among a crowd of about 55,000 expected to attend the Mass, one of two the pope will concelebrate in the U.S. this month. His first Mass will be Thursday at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
The campus received 10 tickets for the event, Zidek said.
All Catholic, the students anticipated the opportunity to attend a Mass with thousands of people of all ages from all over the country celebrating their faith.
"He's the successor to Pope John Paul II, who had a great impact on this generation," said Sean Fox, a senior from Mars, Butler County. "He still sees the church as a young body that's still growing."
And Benedict has faith in today's youth to build that community, Fox said.
Senior Nathan Harig of Carlisle in Cumberland County agreed John Paul was considered to be particularly charismatic.
"(Benedict) has a hard act to follow," Harig said. "I think Pope Benedict knows he has big shoes to fill. ... I think he's doing a good job."
Harig and Fox both attended earlier World Youth Day celebrations.
"It was amazing to see that diversity and that unity," Fox said.
Junior Melissa Evans of Apollo said receiving a ticket was a "wonderful surprise. It's just an amazing opportunity," she said.
But the students also hope to have a chance to play tourist during the weekend.
On Friday morning, Zidek said, they may head into Manhattan and visit Wall Street and Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center destroyed in the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001.
"The pope is going there (Ground Zero)," said freshman Lindsey Schechter of Columbus, Ohio, "so it's real important."
Benedict is scheduled to visit the site prior to the afternoon Mass.
Junior Ashleigh Yuska of Pittsburgh brought some levity to the meeting when she said she wanted to shop for purses, and hoped to see a Broadway show.
Also attending will be sophomore Benjamin Probst of Allison Park in Allegheny County and freshman Thomas Quirin of Pittsburgh.
First stop on Friday will be Quellen Spiritual Center in Mendham, N.J., where the accommodations will be "fairly simple," Zidek said.
"The price was right," he joked.
In the afternoon the students will tour Newark Abbey and School, a monastery and private high school in Newark, N.J.
Zidek and Curry will distribute Holy Communion during the 3 p.m. Mass.
"That means I'll get that much closer," Zidek said. "It will be a thrill, I'm sure."
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