We received the honor of an invitation from the President of the United States and Mrs. Bush to be present at the welcoming ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI at the White House in Washington.
The ceremony was to be held on the South Lawn at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, April 15.
Of course, we accepted the invitation and found ourselves at a truly wonderful and inspiring event.
This is the record of our experience that day.
We had tremendous seats - virtually "front row" - to this exceptional event.
To get a sense of where we were in relation to this view, click here.
The map at the left will help orient you to the various locations. Click on the map for an enlarged version.
We made our entrance at the Northeast Gate. We then proceeded to the West Wing. From there we were escorted to the drive on the south side of the White House. The podium is marked in red. The two seating areas are marked in green. We sat in the green area to the left of the podium.
There are six pages following. In each, there are small photos on the left and narration to the right. Click on any small photo for a larger version in its own window. Close out the window to continue the tour.
Click on the following pages to enter the tour:
Page 2 - Waiting for the Holy Father