Saturday, April 12, 2008

Spirit Lake Reservation students to see Pope Benedict XVI

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A small group of Catholic young people from the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation near Devils Lake are leaving Monday to see Pope Benedict XVI on his first trip to America.

The group obtained tickets to the papal Mass to be held Thursday in Washington, according to a news release from Tanya Watterud, spokeswoman for the Fargo diocese.

The 11 youth, ages 12 to 20, with five adults from St. Michael, N.D., will fly out of Fargo on Monday. The young people from St. Michael’s Indian Catholic Mission spent months raising money for the trip by putting on pancake breakfasts, selling Indian tacos and were helped by everyone in the parish, Watterud said.

Lilisa Gannon, 16, told Watterud it’s difficult to believe the trip is a reality, that they will join thousands of people and see the pope in person.

“It’s not like we didn’t have faith, we just never imagined . . .” Gannon said. “If it wasn’t for our community, we wouldn’t be able to go.” Grand Forks Herald

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