By Michael Motes

From the first time Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan encountered Pope John Paul II during the pontiff’s historic pilgrimage October 1 through 7 to the United States, the Archdiocesan Ordinary was most impressed by the “totally loving personality” of the Holy Father.

As treasurer of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops United States Catholic Conference (NCCB/USCC), Archbishop Donnellan was one of five members of the episcopacy invited to travel with Pope John Paul II and participate in many of the activities planned during the papal visit.

Other members of the select group of NCCB/USCC officers were Archbishop John R. Quinn of San Francisco; Bishop Thomas C. Kelly of Washington; Archbishop John R. Roach of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin of Cincinatti, who served as auxiliary bishop of Atlanta from 1966 to 1968.

On hand to greet the Pope upon his arrival in Boston at the beginning of his seven-day whirlwind tour, Archbishop Donnellan told the BULLETIN that when he knelt to kiss the papal ring, the Holy Father “lifted me up,” indicating that the Pope prefers a less formal greeting than tradition would imply.

The archbishop also said that he noticed that the pope moved rather quickly through the line of dignitaries present to officially welcome him. “He obviously wanted to get to the people as quickly as possible,” Archbishop Donnellan said.

The pope’s first Mass in the United States was celebrated shortly after his arrival at the Boston Commons. Archbishop Donnellan said, “This was the crowd I most admired. They stood shoulder to shoulder in the steady downpour of rain and the Holy Father stood with them.”

During the Mass, Archbishop Donnellan said that the pope seemed “genuinely moved” by the shouts from his youthful audience of, “John Paul II. We love you.”

In New York, there was an entirely different type of atmosphere, Archbishop Donnellan said. “Not only was the weather perfect, but the address the pope delivered at the United Nations was a very formal occasion.”

At the United Nations, as contrasted with the reception from the audience at the Boston Commons, Archbishop Donnellan said that the audience “remained very quiet until the end of the pope’s remarks.”

The papal visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral was personally moving to Archbishop Donnellan, who was ordained to the priesthood there and later consecrated to the Episcopacy there in 1964.

“Actually, it was old home week for me in New York,” Archbishop Donnellan said. During the brief visit there, he met numerous priests and lay persons whom he had known during the time he served as Bishop of Ogdensburg in New York State. Monsignor Emerson Moore, who hosted the pope during his visit to Harlem, was a student of the archbishop when he served as rector of Saint Joseph’s Seminary.

At Madison Square Garden, where the service had been planned by young people, the archbishop said that the pope “was very happy” with the gifts the youngsters presented him, which included a guitar, a pair of blue jeans from Macey’s and a T-shirt proclaiming, “The Big Apple -- We Love You.” Archbishop Donnellan’s most private contact with the Holy Father came during a dinner hosted by Cardinal Krol in Philadelphia.

“About 30 bishops attended the dinner, and the Holy Father informally chatted with each of us,” the archbishop said. “We were impressed by how well he speaks and understands English, but we did learn that certain words or phrases give him trouble.”

The pontiff’s brief visit in Des Moines “left him totally at ease,” according to Archbishop Donnellan. “He seemed glad to be in the country and away from the big city.”

In Chicago, Archbishop Donnellan commented, the address the pope made to U.S. bishops was the “largest gathering of bishops I have ever seen during my 15 years as a member of the Bishops’ Conference,” and included a number of retired bishops.

“This was probably the most important session for the bishops,” he said. “The Holy Father encouraged us to stand fast in our love of Jesus Christ and this was a very inspiring message to all of us.”

Later in the day, Archbishop Donnellan joined the more than 300 U.S. bishops in concelebrating Mass with the pope at Grant Park in Chicago.

The archbishop described the White House reception as “a real mob scene,” and said that between 8,000 and 10,000 people attended the reception hosted by President Carter.

The weather was quite windy, the archbishop said, and President Carter held the papal cape to keep it from blowing over the pope’s head. When someone in the crowd asked that the Holy Father bless them all, Pope John Paul II turned to President Carter and said, “With the permission of the President of the United States, I will bless you all.”

Although he was not present at the confrontation between Pope John Paul II and Sister Theresa Kane concerning the ordination of women in the priesthood, Archbishop Donnellan was asked if he thought the encounter distressed the pope.

“He’s not the flappable type,” was the archbishop’s reply.

The pope’s personality “took on the role of professor,” Archbishop Donnellan said, when he addressed the theology teachers and university faculty members while in Washington.

“The Holy Father has the great ability to meet with people on their own level,” the archbishop said. “His mood can change to fit the occasion, whether chatting with young people or addressing university faculties.

“Everyone with whom I have talked has been deliriously happy about the visit and about THEIR Pope,” the archbishop concluded. “He is obviously a totally loving person.”