"The pope flew to Denver expressly for a giant World Youth Day (WYD) rally. While he took time to celebrate Mass with the bishops, to visit Denver's Catholics, the Vietnamese diaspora and the children of Mount St. Vincent Home, he spent his biggest chunks of time with WYD’s instant community. Those assembled showered John Paul II with a love expressed in hugs, tears, cheers and applause.
The pope addressed his vast WYD congregation every day of their joint visit. On Thursday, August 12, 1993, his first day in Denver, a full house of 90,000 welcomed the pope at Mile High Stadium, a welcome also marked by a late evening rainbow. On Friday, he spoke briefly by remote hookup to conclude the Stations of the Cross. On both Saturday and Sunday, he spent nearly four hours with youth at Cherry Creek State Park. On Saturday, crowds sat through a chill, misted lightly by rain. On Sunday, they sat through the heat, some wilting from its rigors." (from (
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" "I gave him a key to the city and told him that I hoped the key would be a symbol of peace for not just the city of Denver, but for cities throughout the world," Mayor Wellington Webb revealed to Jet as he reflected upon the recent visit of Pope John Paul II, the religious leader of the Roman Catholics of the world.
As the chief executive of the Colorado city and first Black mayor of the 467,800 Denverites, Webb told of his discussion with the Pope, the general reaction of the pontiffs visit and the after-effect on the Mile High metropolis, particularly the Black community.
"Pope John Paul II was very gracious," Webb said. "He told me he was pleased to be in Denver and that he was glad World Youth Day was being so well received." When the Pope raised the banner for the 375,000 delegates to the religious extravaganza, the mayor said the event added to the luster of Denver's claim of fame: a new major league baseball team, the Colorado Rockies, and the $2.8 billion state-of-the-art airport, scheduled to open this fall." (From Denver mayor recalls Pope John Paul II's visit with him during World Youth Day - Denver, Colorado, Mayor Wellington Webb, (
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