From the archives: Pope John Paul II draws 350,000 people to Living History Farms

Editor's note: This story by Register reporters Larry Fruhling and William Simbro originally ran Oct. 5, 1979, the day after Pope John Paul II's Iowa visit.

Pope John Paul II brought his American pilgrimage to a small rural parish and a vast throng in a green pasture Thursday, giving Iowans a day they will long remember.

After a flight to Des Moines that spanned thousands of fields of yellowing soybeans and pale green corn drying in the autumn sun, John Paul reminded the huge audience:

"You are the stewards of some of the most important resources God has ever given the world. ... Conserve the land well."

The pope's homily on stewardship of the land was given at Living History Farms on the western edge of the Des Moines suburbs during a history day of prayer, choir music, the ringing bells of a simple rural church and the colorful, timeless ritual of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope John Paul II's Iowa visit: Untold tales of cracked statues, cigarette deals and a crowd-surfing baby

All appearances considered, the pope was seen and heard by about 350,000 people, according to official estimates. Crowd estimates by other authorities ranged from 250,000 to 300,000.

At the end of a day that was both solemn and joyous, Bishop Maurice Dingman of the Des Moines Catholic Diocese, who spent most of Thursday at the pope's side, said, "Nothing can top this in my lifetime.

"He (the pope) loved every minute of his time here. ... He loves the people."

As he left Iowa, John Paul told Gov. Robert Ray that his audiences had been "outstanding."

The pope's visit to Iowa marked the fourth day of his pilgrimage to the United States, and the busy pace began to tell. During one of his brief helicopter trips in the Des Moines area, the pontiff snoozed. "Boy, was he tired," said Dingman.

As he has throughout his visit to the United States, John Paul seemed to pay special attention to the young during his 4 1/2 hours in the Des Moines area.

One example was at the Des Moines Municipal Airport, where John Paul arrived at 1:45 p.m. on a red and white Trans World Airlines jet. Among those who greeted the pope was 9-year-old Thomas Anania with a bouquet of Iowa flowers.

The vigorous, 59-year-old pope hugged young Thomas and told him: "You're a good bambino and God bless you."

The spiritual leader of the world's 700 million Catholics also greeted and blessed a number of elderly and disabled people at the airport. Acknowledging cheers of "Long live the pope," he boarded a green Marine Corps helicopter for a short flight to St. Patrick's Church in the countryside near Cumming southwest of Des Moines.

One of the day's many memorable moments came when John Paul landed at a farm adjacent to the church and departed from the helicopter amid the clanging of bells from the tower of St. Patrick's, a simple white church of a parish established on the raw Iowa prairie by Irish immigrants 127 years ago.

The visit to St. Patrick's fulfilled the pope's wish to speak with members of a small, rural church.

As a baby cried and a fly buzzed near his nose, the pope studiously read his message to the 205 parishioners during one of the few relatively private moments of his American trip.

"... On your farms you are close to God's nature; in your work on the land you follow the rhythm of the seasons; and in your hearts you feel close to each other as children of a common Father and as brothers and sisters in Christ. How privileged you are, that in such a setting you can worship God together, celebrate your spiritual unity and help to carry each other's burdens. ..."

In thanking the people of St. Patrick's for their hospitality, John Paul strayed briefly from his prepared talk to joke with the Rev. John Richter, the parish priest. "Thanks also to the parish priest who is standing there -- near the door," the pope said as he waved his hand as if to direct the television cameras to focus on the young priest.

In all, John Paul was at St. Patrick's only about 40 minutes, but, as always, he found a few moments for the children. Kissing three-week-old Nicholas Lyons, who was bundled in the arms of his mother Maryjude, the pope said softly, "Very nice."

Biggest crowd

Arriving from the short flight north to Living History Farms, a showcase for agriculture at the site of what was once a state prison farm, John Paul saw the biggest crowd ever gathered in Iowa. It was a crowd that began assembling before dawn with a lack of problems that surprised the officials who planned for it.

For Iowa Highway Patrol Capt. Ted Godfrey, sitting in the basement of the state communications center in a building 10 miles from Living History Farms, the lack of serious traffic jams the crowd created upon its arrival led to this question: "How'd they all get in there?"

Some officials expected that situation to change as the huge crowd broke up, but major snarls never materialized. Traffic moved easily out of Des Moines, and state troopers were able to reopen Interstate Highways 35-80 near Living History Farms hours ahead of schedule.

There were some problems, but few were serious. One was the unexpectedly chilly weather. The stiff north wind and temperatures in the mid-50s led some to protect themselves with garbage bags and blankets strung as shelters to available posts.

One young man stuffed pieces of paper towel in his ears to keep out the cold wind. Some people left Living History Farms before John Paul's appearance was completed because they became chilled.

There also were a number of ankle injuries reported at the medical tents set up for the pope's visit at the farm, but no serious medical problems were reported. The security for john Paul was pervasive, but Iowa Deputy Public Safety Commissioner Robert Holetz said the only incident was the brief detention of a man carrying a BB gun.

As many as 220 people lost friends or relatives during the day, but most of the problems were solved as the crowd dispersed.

As Iowa National Guard helicopter made a searchlight sweep of Living History Farms as night fell, searching for stragglers, particularly a Vietnamese couple and small girl. The aerial search was still going on at 8:45 p.m. when Urbandale police reported that the three had turned up in Urbandale.

The crowd at Living History Farms included persons from many parts of the country and a group of 99 from St. John's Parish at Independence, Iowa, that walked 150 miles to see the pontiff.

Upon the pope's arrival near the silos and barns, a huge cheer arose from the throng as American flags, flags of John Paul's native Poland, gold and white Vatican flags and hometown banners from Omaha, Minneapolis and elsewhere waved in the brisk wind.

Hays on hand

Among those who greeted John Paul at the showcase farm were 11-year-old Dorota "Gigi" Rokitnicki of Des Moines and Joe Hays of Truro. Hays' hand-written invitation to the pope was credited as one of the reasons the pontiff chose to come to Des Moines, by far the smallest city on his U.S. itinerary.

John Paul's sermon about stewardship of the land was praised by many who heard it, including Irene Lentfer of Waterloo. "We plant the seeds, yet everything depends on the Lord to grow. I really feel that way," Lentfer said.

The crowd made Urbandale, where Living History Farms is located, the largest city in Iowa. Urbandale's population in 1979 was about 20,000.

The event also made Des Moines one of the more tranquil communities in the state. Streets were quiet, several business places were closed for the day and Marilyn Samuelson, secretary to City Manager Richard Wilkey, observed: "It's been very, very dull."

The crowd was mostly subdued during the sermon, which came across as muffled on the sophisticated sound equipment. Portable radios throughout the crowd zeroed in more clearly on the pope's speech, delivered in heavily accented but easily understood English.

Says Mass

The pope later stood at an altar constructed of oak timbers salvaged from a 100-year-old corn crib to say Mass. The bread he blessed was later distributed to the crowd by others, but the pontiff himself gave bread, which Catholics believe to be transformed into the body of Christ, to 152 people who received communion.

International religious and press visitors to the papal Mass marveled at the beauty of the natural setting at Living History Farms, where the pontiff spoke from a 50-foot hillock. Some wondered why the crowd seemed more quiet than others at Masses on the pope's U.S. tour.

The Rev. Vincent O'Keefe, a Vatican official who has been with John Paul since the pope's visit to Ireland before he came to the U.S., suggested that the reaction of the Midwesterners may only have seemed quiet "after coming from the shouts and hooting and almost tearing the pope apart" in previous appearances.

The pope was at Living History Farms a little more than 2 1/2 hours.

As the crowd began leaving, Bessie Bagby of Des Moines reflected on the visit. "There are just no words for it," she said. "There is just no way I can put my feelings into words. And the crowd — the thousands and thousands of people. They were so quiet, so humble."

During the exhausting day, John Paul fell asleep on the helicopter during the brief trip from St. Patrick's Church to Living History Farms, said Bishop Dingman.

Perhaps because of his weariness or possibly to gain time on his schedule — the pope was an hour or more late during his entire Des Moines visit — John Paul chose not to give a farewell speech at the airport, or mingle with the crowd, as he had been expected to do.

His plane, Shepherd I, left Des Moines for Chicago at 6:17 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Pope John Paul II visited Iowa on Oct. 4, 1979