Alumnus Profile: Peter Young – Graced to be in the Right Place

Some of the most moving moments of my life were experiencing the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV up close this past spring. I was in Rome for the semester through Christendom’s study abroad program, and being so close to it all and keenly feeling the heartbeat of the Church through all these events made it extraordinarily memorable.

However, even before all the excitement, my time in Rome was already very powerful. The Rome program brought together all that I had learned about Western civilization and Catholic culture, first with Seton and then in the classroom for the past two years with Christendom.

Through Rome-specific classes involving on-site visits and excursions with the college to places like Siena and Assisi, I was thoroughly immersed in Roman, Italian, and Catholic culture and was enjoying every day of it. Grateful to also be in Rome during the Jubilee year, I thought the semester couldn’t get any more special.

But then came the death of Pope Francis, the conclave, and May 8th.

Experiencing the Conclave

I was determined not to miss anything around the conclave, even if it meant holding off on a weekend trip I was supposed to take on May 8th. Yet for all that, I didn’t see the white smoke – I had gone inside St. Peter’s for 6:00 PM Mass that day, expecting the next smoke appearance to be around 7:00 PM.

But during Mass at 6:07 PM, the sound of cheering from outside could be heard, which only grew louder. Everyone immediately knew what it meant.

At the Right Place

Half the congregation jumped up and ran out, but my friends and I stayed behind – being at Mass in St. Peter’s, in front of the Altar of the Cathedra, nonetheless, seemed like the right place to be after the election of the pope.

The Mass finished quickly, and as we were ushered out of an eerily empty St. Peter’s at 6:30 PM, we got a brief glance over St. Peter’s Square, which was filled and already overflowing into the Via della Conciliazione.

Habemus Papam!

We ended up in a great spot to the left of the steps – closer than the jumbotrons – from which I got to hear the “Habemus Papam!” with my own ears, see the new pope with my own eyes, and receive his first blessing.

I was incredibly blessed during my semester, not only with this one-in-a-lifetime experience but also with all the other adventures that happen when one is in Rome and Europe, which I will forever treasure.

I am also grateful for the deeper love I have gained for our Catholic faith and Catholic culture since returning from Rome, and I am excited about how I can spread this love to others as I go out into the world.