For Sarah Beckner, a 21-year-old junior at the Moore School studying in Rome this semester, being able to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II earlier this month was “something that I know I won’t forget for the rest of my life.” She also won’t forget being interviewed by NBC-TV anchor Brian Williams. That interview aired on MS-NBC on April 4.
Beckner, who
is studying at John Cabot University in Rome for the spring 2005 semester, told
Williams that she’s a Christian but not Catholic, and that she was a huge fan of
the late Pontiff. “I think he…changed the world,” she said. Williams
himself was “very personable and kind,” Beckner said, “and he was happy to know
that I was studying abroad because he felt that too many people my age do not
take advantage of this kind of experience.” She added that “what surprised
me is the number of people my age who have been so moved by the Pope. It
is clear that he somehow impacted all of our lives in one way or
another.”
Beckner and fellow Moore student Anna Rasmussen, who is studying in Florence, Italy, were able to squeeze into St. Peter’s Square for the Pope’s funeral by camping out all night. “For the first half hour of the service, I had goose bumps all over my body,” Beckner said. “The service and the mood set by all of those inside was so moving. Everyone in there had a common bond, no matter what nationality.”
A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Beckner is studying marketing and management. She expects to graduate in May 2006.