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Pope Leo

Location: Bursa and Istanbul

This morning, we left Bursa at 5am to head to Istanbul to see the Pope! Upon arrival, at our hotel, we walked to Holy Spirit Cathedral where we had tickets to greet him in the courtyard on his way into the Cathedral for the Liturgy of the Word Service. After being in a predominately Muslim country for so long, it was amazing to see how many people were excited to see the Pope and how many news agencies were reporting about the Pope’s arrival.

Awaiting the Pope’s arrival

When the Pope finally made his way through the courtyard, everyone tried to see him and shake his hand, yet shortly after his warm greeting, the Liturgy of the Word Service started and we all watched in on a giant TV from the courtyard.

The crowd shown singing the Alleluia during the Liturgy of the Word Service

After the service was over, I managed to stand in the front row to greet him on the way out. We came within a foot of each other, and I was lost for words. I had seen Pope Francis before in person, but this was different. This was an American Pope, from Chicago, where I go to seminary!

Facade of St Anthony Church

Later in the day, we went to St. Anthony Church to celebrate Mass. It was amazing to see this beautiful church that gets 5,000 visitors a day in the heart of Istanbul. Another reminder to me that the church is still very much alive in the country. After Mass, we met a Franciscan Priest there who was born in Iowa but grew up in Türkiye. We learned about this mission of the Church in Türkiye as well as his relations with the Orthodox Churches and the Muslims.

Me and the Bosphorus, separating Europe and Asia

To end the day, we went to the Sultan’s Palace. Although it was filled with artifacts from the ancient world, I was more blown away by the grounds and the size of the Palace. While it was fun to explore, it was also the first time all trip where we had a chance to slow down, even just for an hour. A friend and I went to the back of the palace and sat down watching the ships go by on the Bosphorus Strait. It was a packed day, yet filled with many graces and many once in a lifetime opportunities.

-Patrick Truskowski, Diocese of Grand Rapids

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