• 

  Banks of the Wabash Festival kicks off

  The 2013 Banks of the Wabash Festival, scheduled May 23 through June 1 in Fairbanks Park, celebrates 40 years along the banks of the Wabash River, 30 under the sponsorship of the Terre Haute Parks and Recreation Department.

• 

  Banks of the Wabash Festival is more than just yearly entertainment

  Pioneers think counterintuitively. Where others see widespread apathy, they focus on the possibility for progress. In a way, the 2013 Year of the River celebration began in the 1970s.

• 

  Boy Scouts approve plan to accept openly gay boys

  GRAPEVINE, Texas — In one of their most dramatic choices in a century, local leaders of the Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday to ease a divisive ban and allow openly gay boys to be accepted into the nation's leading youth organization.

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• Figuring arrangements: A vendor near St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City lines up iconic Roman figurines on the morning of the canonization ceremony for Mother Theodore Guerin and three other blesseds of the Roman Catholic Church. (Tribune-Star file/Mark Bennett)

  

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March 14, 2013

MARK BENNETT: Memories, emotions rush back with announcement of new pope

Mark Bennett The Tribune-Star The Tribune Star Thu Mar 14, 2013, 12:11 PM EDT

TERRE HAUTE — I saw a pope once.

Read quickly, that sentence sounds too casual, almost as if we’d crossed paths at Home Depot.

Say it slowly, though, and the significance comes through.

Granted, my view came at a distance. I stood on Bernini’s colonnade overlooking St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, peering between a few of the 140 statues of the saints on Oct. 15, 2006. That Sunday morning, under a burst of unexpected sunshine, Pope Benedict XVI walked in a procession toward St. Peter’s Basilica and canonized Mother Theodore Guerin — a resilient pioneer who founded the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods — as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, along with three others. The impact of the moment became clear, even from that lofty perch.

The Vatican reserved that stretch of the colonnade for journalists. Standing nearby was a young woman from a Latin American newspaper, snapping photos and jotting notes. As Pope Benedict affirmed sainthood on Rafael Guizar Valencia, an early 20th-century bishop from Mexico, tears streamed down that reporter’s cheeks as she watched through her camera’s lens.

That sight and plenty of others revealed the profound spot this place near the Mediterranean Sea holds in hearts worldwide.

Memories of that trip seven years ago rushed back Wednesday as news and images from Rome flowed onto the wire services, unveiling new Pope Francis to 1.2 billion Catholics and the world. In just Day 2 of their conclave in the Sistine Chapel, the 115 cardinals elected humble Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as the successor to Benedict, who surprised everybody last month by becoming the first pope in centuries to resign.

A rain-soaked crowd of thousands cheered as the new pope spoke from the basilica balcony.

Interesting things happen indeed in that center of religious faith, majestic structures and masterful artistry.

That assignment for this newspaper years ago was an eye-opener as my wife and I made our first visit to Rome. We weren’t alone. More than 500 other local folks trekked to Italy for the canonization, perhaps the largest assembly of Hauteans in Rome in the history of our fair city.

For my wife and me, the lessons began immediately, beginning with the taxi ride to our hotel. The cabbie — a thirtysomething guy with a shaved head, T-shirt and jeans — drove at breakneck speed through the busy, narrow streets. As we rounded a wide bend, the Vatican walls came into view. Halfway through the turn, at a pace usually reserved for get-away cars, the driver let go of the steering wheel to make the sign of the cross over his chest.

Once the blood flow to my brain resumed, I realized he wasn’t trying to terrify the Americans in his back seat. This gesture was something this man did every time he drove by that place, Vatican City — the heart of a faith led by a line of 266 pontiffs, from Peter to the new Pope Francis.

Other less heart-stopping introductions to European culture followed.

Like the bustling, rich-smelling coffeeshop we hit. I ambled up to the bar and ordered a “coffee” for me and a “latte” for my wife. The barista came back with a tall glass of foamy white milk and a tiny cup of espresso. He and I talked, briefly, as he explained the menu and I felt more Hoosier than ever.

Traffic transcended Indiana norms, too. Some intersections have no stop signs or stoplights. Turn signals and brakes seem optional. Cars and trucks are a fraction of the size of U.S. vehicles. (There wasn’t a Dodge Ram or a Ford F-150 in sight, which was weird.) Motorists park anywhere along the streets, sideways, angled, parallel, even double parked. Pedestrians take a few steps into the fray, and then either break into a sprint or rush back.

Many shops stay open from 9 to 9, but close for three hours in the afternoons. Clothing stores may appear to offer only a few items on display, but keep different sizes and colors in a back room. Cafés serve fish whole, head and tail intact. Markets feature tons of fresh fruits and veggies, as well as the occasional hog head. Pizzas taste amazing, and it’s almost impossible to find a bad wine.

Most of all, the people seemed passionate about the city, their way of life, and the reasons so many folks from foreign lands come there to visit.

I’m not sure if I’ll see Pope Francis or another pontiff in person again. Either way, the memories surrounding my one papal sighting will linger a lifetime.



Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.



 

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Mark Bennett B-Sides

• Banks of the Wabash Festival is more than just yearly entertainment

  Pioneers think counterintuitively. Where others see widespread apathy, they focus on the possibility for progress. In a way, the 2013 Year of the River celebration began in the 1970s.

  May 23, 2013 5 Photos  

• MARK BENNETT: After running for 28 hours straight, what’s another 5 miles?

  Some phrases can only be uttered by a few people, or none at all.

  May 9, 2013 2 Photos  

• MARK BENNETT: Glitches show limitations of high-stakes testing concept

  The dog ate my homework. That age-old excuse — based on a shockingly unforeseen complication — rarely works for a kid who didn’t finish yesterday’s math assignment. Yet, in a role reversal, Indiana school children, along with their teachers and administrators, are left to accept an explanation for a disruption best described as the mother of all ironies.

  May 2, 2013  

• MARK BENNETT: One step at a time to save lives

  Joan Brown.
  Remember that name.

  April 25, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Sometimes, the mere posing of questions is significant

  The era seems quaint now, almost like a fable. When people left their house doors unlocked. When the sight of a police officer in a school meant it was Career Day.

  April 18, 2013  

• MARK BENNETT: New reality steers Nashville singer to Crossroads for Historical Society concert

  People pass through the Crossroads of America for lots of reasons.
  Business trips. College campus events. Federal prison sentences. Visits with relatives. Gas pitstops.
  Or maybe a career change and a twist of fate.
  Ty Brown makes his first stop in downtown Terre Haute as the headliner of a multi-band Sweet Sensations Country Jam concert May 4 in the Ohio Building — a fundraiser for the Vigo County Historical Society.

  April 11, 2013 3 Photos  

• MARK BENNETT: Terre Haute barber ‘sharpens up’ customers for 50 years

  People streamed through this section of downtown Terre Haute in those days.
  “You could hardly walk by here,” John Hochhalter said, pointing toward the sidewalk outside the window.
  The bustle has faded since the early 1960s. Hochhalter remains. He’s still barbering in the same shop he and late business partner Kenny Thomas opened a half-century ago this week.

  March 21, 2013 5 Photos  

• MARK BENNETT: Memories, emotions rush back with announcement of new pope

  I saw a pope once.Read quickly, that sentence sounds too casual, almost as if we’d crossed paths at Home Depot. Say it slowly, though, and the significance comes through.

  March 14, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Reflections of grid success stir with Brent Anderson’s passing

  A few hundred miles away, and nearly 40 years gone by, a special game ball still occupies a fond place in Rudy Bohinc’s memories.

  March 5, 2013 3 Photos  

• Lent meets ‘The Bucket List’ in Terre Haute

  Initially, the concept might conjure images of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman jumping out of an airplane or sitting atop the Pyramids. Instead, think “Lent Meets ‘The Bucket List’ in Terre Haute.”

  March 3, 2013  

• MARK BENNETT: Never truer: Knowledge vital to narrowing ‘skills gap’

  The pillar at the gates of Faber College in the movie “Animal House” bore a wise motto, despite its tongue-in-cheek intent …

  February 28, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Great-niece to re-enact Paul Dresser’s musical legacy in Terre Haute show

  People can be forgotten. Their lives end, time passes and memories fade.
  Often, the only keepers of their legacies are family and friends, who tell and retell their stories, generation to generation.
  For Paul Dresser, his fame burned strong enough as a turn-of-the-century, million-seller songwriter to preserve bits of his public notoriety.

  February 21, 2013 4 Photos  

• MARK BENNETT: An Olympic takedown

  Imagine an iconic image of American sports history erased.

  February 14, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Indiana’s ‘skills gap’

  A problem lasting decades ceases to be a “problem.” By then, the situation becomes “part of the culture.”

  February 7, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: America’s best quality of life? Indiana must address flaws, set priorities

  Just as the job interview seems smooth, the interviewer drops the question.
  “So, where do you see yourself in five years?”

  January 31, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Pondering what is meant by ‘quality of life’ to Hoosiers

  Sometimes it’s sincere. Other times, it’s sarcasm.
  You cross paths with a friend, ask how they’re doing, and they say, “Ah, just livin’ the dream.”
  Livin’ the dream. What exactly does that involve? Can it be defined?

  January 24, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: By whatever name, stomach virus still a sick story

  It’s the ugly side of the cold-and-flu season.

  January 17, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Living on the banks

  We are the Wabash.
  Really.

  January 10, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Rising young producer lands spot in Sundance Film Festival

  When a project clicks, the moment is clear.

  January 3, 2013 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Remember the 20 children lost

  Their names were listed on the screen at the front of the church on Sunday.
  Our pastor asked us to choose one and pray for their family. I selected Noah Pozner, just by chance.

  December 20, 2012 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Tasting panel to help find Champagne Velvet’s ‘million-dollar flavor’

  Rounding up enough volunteers to serve on a committee can be a struggle.

  December 6, 2012  

• MARK BENNETT: Thanksgiving’s feast can be defined by either the presence of family or the family’s quest for presents

  The best gift deals will be gone by 12:01 a.m. Nov. 23.

  November 18, 2012  

• MARK BENNETT: Salvation Army touches many lives

  Sometimes, the unexpected happens.

  November 15, 2012 2 Photos  

• MARK BENNETT: Election excellence: 30 out of 32 is pretty darn good

  Detroit car makers unveil the latest Mustangs and Corvettes on Wabash Avenue.

  November 8, 2012 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: Climbing the rungs of Lincoln’s Ladder

  One crucial quality helped Abraham Lincoln become America’s greatest president.
  Courage? Political savvy? Wisdom? Moral character?

  November 1, 2012  

• MARK BENNETT: Drop the needle

  Over time, excellence and nostalgia inappropriately merge in our minds.

  October 28, 2012  

• No matter the age, voting’s a part of American fabric

  The electoral karma seemed, well, unfair.

  October 25, 2012 1 Photo  

• MARK BENNETT: A moment on the brink

  Ominous, but distant.

  October 21, 2012  

• MARK BENNETT: Valley-born filmmaker influenced by roots

  Real-life stories inspire Laura Brownson.
  Even those vastly unlike her own.

  October 19, 2012  

• MARK BENNETT: No debating it: Candidates have it easier than ‘forensics’ specialists

  Nightmares can jolt us awake, just before we fall off a cliff or show up for work or school unprepared.

  October 11, 2012 1 Photo  

• More Mark Bennett B-Sides Headlines

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