Papal pictures – four decades later
KERRYMAN photographer Michelle Cooper Galvin is proud to have covered both Papal visits to Ireland. The Killarney woman described Sunday’s trip to the Phoenix Park to see Pope Francis as ‘ a labour of love’.
Michelle took pictures of Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1979, and she was there again on Sunday to capture the atmosphere as Pope Francis said Mass before thousands of people in Phoenix Park.
Michelle travelled by train to Dublin early on Sunday and on arrival she headed to Dublin Castle from where she, along with hundreds of media personnel from around the world, were bussed to Phoenix Park.
“The entire city was shut down and you couldn’t get a bus, Luas or taxi. It was crazy as many elderly people wanted to head into the city first before heading to the Mass,” Michelle said.
Advances in ‘ the digital world’ certainly made a difference this time round for Michelle, who 39-years ago put her film of John Paul’s visit in a bag which was flown by a specially commissioned helicopter to the Cork Examiner’s offices.
“Obviously the digital world has made a big difference as I was able to download my photos on the train home this time round. I consider it an honour that I covered both visits by a Pope to Ireland,” Michelle said.
“The crowd was certainly different this time but I did notice there was a lot of young people with families there. In 1979 many people who attended weren’t even that religious. It was more of a party atmosphere.”
Michelle said when Pope Francis spoke of the church’s crimes against innocent people there was a collective sigh of gratefulness among the crowd; a feeling that he had finally said what needed to be said.
“Definitely when he said ‘we did wrong’ and that his heart was broken over what happened, you could sense the crowd saying ‘yes, he’s after saying it’. I think the people needed him to say it,” she said.
Michelle also believes there should be no shame in expressing one’s faith anymore, and that ordinary Catholics have tended to shoulder the blame for many of the appalling crimes perpetrated by some priests in the past.
“It’s revolting what happened. But there comes a point when ordinary Catholics have to stop feeling guilty for having faith. I got within ten feet of the Pope and I took my rosary beads out of my pocket and held them up to him hoping he might put some sort of a blessing on them.”
Michelle continued: “The Pope spotted all the bits we had and he turned around and started blessing us. We all had a good smile about it afterwards. It all went off very well and I’m proud to have been there. I believe Francis is a very sincere man.”