Long waits, chilly start don't deter crowd at White House ceremony

Published: 2008-04-16

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Thousands of Americans -- not all of them Catholic -- filled the South Lawn of the White House for the April 16 arrival ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House. They rearranged schedules on short notice and got up earlier than usual, in some cases a lot earlier than usual, to meet all the security requirements for Pope Benedict's first U.S. visit as pontiff. Suzanne Wallace of Alexandria, Va., got a South Lawn ticket courtesy of her daughter, Kathryn, who works in the White House as general counsel in its Office of Administration. Kathryn Wallace was on hand, too, gently reminding her mother to have a snack during a wait that lasted up to three hours for some. Herself a Catholic, Suzanne Wallace volunteers at the White House, answering telephones. "Today was supposed to be my day to answer the phones," she told Catholic News Service during the long wait. "But they closed the phones today. That shows you how important this is." She said she's been to other White House welcoming ceremonies, including the one for Queen Elizabeth II. "But this is even more exciting," Wallace said.

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