The 'Woo' Heard Round the World

(On October 1, we will mark 30 years since Pope John Paul II made his first apostolic visit to the United States.)

It was 30 years ago today … John Paul II taught America to pray.

What I remember best from his first trip to the United States as Pope was not a prayer, or even a huge outdoor Mass. Rather, it was a “woo!” Those attending the Pope’s meeting with young people in New York’s Madison Square Garden – and those, like me, watching on TV – will never forget.

High schoolers, most dressed better than they would for Sunday Mass – the boys with the 70s Sonny Bono look, the girls appearing as one of the Partridge Family females – were packed into the Garden, with JP II at center stage, where rock stars performed.

Today’s 20-something Catholics have to understand and the rest of us need to remember what a sensation this event was. Here was the Pope – young, strong, masculine and smiling, in the midst of an arena of New York teens. We had just been through a decade of post-Vatican II confusion and the deaths of two popes in 1978, and here was this vibrant, white-clad figure with a face that showed the sufferings of the century as well as the new life in the Church he came to lead. 

Selected teens had spoken of their lives and concerns, and presented the Pope with gifts, and all were ready to hear him speak. He paused, played on their anticipation. They screamed, shouted loving words and were ready to jump to their feet on cue. Then came the “woo!” Not just “woo!” but “ooh,” and a strange, guttural “hmmm”.

He sat in his chair, microphone positioned to catch his every word, English script in his hand, and spent two minutes making noises from the depths of his heart, as if to tell the teens and all Americans that mere words could not express his love, his hope, his joy, his utter amazement at the grace of God and the beauty of youthful faith. “Woo, woo, woo, woo …” he intoned. (You can see the moments on YouTube.)

My brother and I watched the TV, amazed. We had gone through eight years of New York City parochial school and graduated from Catholic high school, yet we had never heard anything like this.

I turned to my brother and said, “We have a Pope who says woo.”

That single moment set us back on the road to faith, to prayer and regular attendance at Mass. This man “from a far place” had touched us through the mass media that he loved, with the simple “groaning of the Spirit” that seemed to gather up all the confusion, hurt, missteps and sins of our early adulthood and offer them to a merciful God who could smile and tease his children. A 20-year-old in 1979 could feel pretty world-weary and cynical of religion. Yet John Paul told us to walk together with him and ask the deep questions we wanted to ask and find the surprising answers we were aching to embrace.

In him I saw Christ. Not Christ the Protector of my childhood that I had self-consciously left behind, but Christ the Adventurer, the Worker, the Warrior, ready to take on the world with great strength and a sense of humor. The Catholic faith was alive, and I was drawn to it anew.

We had a Pope who said woo!

(What moments do you recall? Please write in your own remembrances of the Pope’s historic visit.)

 

Comments

[Aaron]

I was not even born when this wonderful event occurred. But John Paul II has been a guiding light in my life and many friends. The Woo continues to be heard around the world, in the minds and hearts of many of a new generation. That may be the real legacy of John Paul the Great, that his words and his spirit transcend the bounds of time and age.

[Bob Burghardt]

I too was in Madison Square Garden that day, and like Rich was a student at Albertus Magnus High School (a Sophomore). My first thought was "who's booing the pope?". Then the crowd around us realized who was making the sound and the place exploded with cheers. Another key phrase from his speech was "Look to Christ". He mentioned it many times and it struck a chord with me, something that I still recall. It truly was a memorable day!

[Joan]

I was there in Madison Square Garden with my brother, a friend, and my future husband (only I didn't know that at the time!). It was so wonderful. It was overwhelmingly beautiful. There was so much excitement. It was just and awesome "John Paul II moment". I was 19 years old at the time and just renewing my faith. I had made a TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) several months before that, and had become very involved. Those were wonderful days!

[Rich Vosler]

I was in Madison Square Garden that day! It was awesome. I was a freshman at Albertus Magnus HS in Rockland County, NY and we went there on a bus trip. He rode around the perimeter of the Garden in some sort of Pope-mobile standing and waving as he drove. He stopped at different sections and the crowd went absolute berserk! It truly was an amazing day. I fell in love with him right then and have since read many of his writings. I also fell back in love with my Catholic faith. He truly was the best Pope we've had in my 44 years. I was blessed by him that day as were all in attendance and I was fortunate enough to see him and be blessed by him again to celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at the Vatican the following year on another trip with that same school. When my wife passed away in 2005 after a short battle with cancer, she was wearing on her hands a pair of Papal Rosary Beads that were blessed by him as well. He has been a huge Holy figure in my life.

[Bill H., Denver]

Woo ... what a story! I was not in New York and just remember hearing something about the pope being in the United States (I was 10 years old) but this blog really makes me like I'm there. I'll have to check out You Tube, as you say.