By Dawn Jefferies
WSLS10 Anchor/Reporter
Published: April 17, 2008

Click here to see Dawn’s pictures.

Click here to watch video from the Pope’s visit.

12:20 p.m.

What a thrill. The Papal Mass was just that. Sure, it felt somewhat like a concert at times but that simply speaks to the shear excitement of the morning. No one wanted Pope Benedict XVI to leave. As the recession out of Nationals Park took place, everyone was on their feet-- cheering, screaming, waving the flags that were provided in bags handed out as we walked into the stadium, past security. If Benedict had to win any of the 46,000 people over today, I’d guess he certainly did. Everyone seemed as excited as me. People seemed to hang on his every word, his message ever hopeful.

I’m glad I have the next hour or two on the metro to really sit and and absorb it all. WOW. 
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9:15 a.m.

We’re in our seats waiting for the mass to begin.  We’re sitting behind home plate.  The Pope will be in center field.

The jumbo-tron is showing shots of teh choir and the infield, where many lucky people are sitting really up close to where his holiness will be.

Another interesting note, the Washington Nationals’ logos signs are still up, but the ads are covered.  The message board around the stadium have Pope Benedict XVI’s name on it, and you can see what I assume to be snipers on some of the roof tops.

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8:49 – Just made it through security and I’m feeling like I made the transition into what will be mass.  As soon as we cleared security, we could hear the music as the choirs was singing inside the stadium. Concession stands are open before mass begins. The first booth I passed said “Base Line Brews” only they were selling bottled water, not beer.

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8:33 – We are walking up to National Park now. It sort of feels like I’m going to a baseball game instead of seeing the pope. There are people standing around me waving pennant flags with the pope on it. I never would have guessed there would be a pope pennant. This is truly amazing and I haven’t even seen him yet. You can feel the excitement.

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8:15 – People are clapping around me, as a metro train pulls up. I lived in Washington for several years and never seen metro this mad. Metro has a lot of extra workers directing people where to go. We’re at L’Enfant Plaza heading to the park now.

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7:31am – Just got on the metro, traffic was crazy! I had forgotten how heavy traffic is in the big city. One cool note – the DC metro has mass passes, which are souvenir metro cards for the day. It also means we don’t have to keep putting money on our cards to ride.

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5:09am – Wow, it’s early! You would think not having to do the morning show I would be able to sleep in, but it’s an early start to get to Nationals Park on time.  I’m even up before my daughter! We drove up last night and stayed with family in Gainesville.