Standing On Top of St. Peter's...Unreal.

Had quite the adventure today at the Vatican, but really, what day isn't an adventure. Dressed up in my business suit and met the editor of the Catholic News Agency and headed over to St. Peter's Square that was already over flowing full of people from all over the world to celebrate the Canonization of 7 saints!

So here's what happened. I was supposed to be the photographer and take pictures for EWTN, up on the colonnade, but I didn't have a press pass, so I snuck past the first round of security by walking behind the editor. Then we saw the elevator on the backside of the columns, and decided instead of going up, we'd be closer taking pictures from below. So we got a seat up front on the ground.

However, once mass started, we still couldn't see anything, so we decided to try to go back up. Once again, got past the first security guards, but once we got to the elevator, they saw that I didn't have a press pass, and forbid me to go up. The editor went up without me and tried to get me help, but I was out of luck waiting outside the square for 45 minutes...(I couldn't get back in without waiting in line with the thousands of other people, and I couldn't get up the elevator without a press pass.) I tried explaining to the Italian men guarding it that I worked for Catholic News Agency, but they didn't speak English, and I don't know enough Italian, so I was in a harsh state of language barrier, and it pretty much made me want to cry, but instead just prayed I would eventually make my way up there with all the other people from the press. Luckily, the press director finally came down, but that wasn't a pleasant experience either. He started yelling at me because I didn't have a press pass, (but really I had no way of getting one because I'm just interning)...still, thank God he let me up.
Also thank God the elevator didn't break while I was on it, what a shaky ride that was high up to the top.

Once I finally got up there, it was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. The perfect view of the Pope and all the Cardinals, Priests, and Deacons up on the altar outside, and then 80,000 people flooding the square to witness the canonization of these 7 remarkable people, now Saints! Took some great pictures, and felt so thankful for this opportunity. Even my boss at EWTN said he's never been on top of the colonnade, so I know I was very fortunate to do this!

Afterwards, had some time to talk with the editor about possible internships working for Catholic News Agency in the future. It's awesome making all these connections here!

Awesome day witnessing history, experiencing the bureaucratic system in Rome, and keeping my professionalism together. Learned 2 lessons: One, always have a press pass if you're a journalist, and two, always PERSEVERE to get what you want...and never give up.