Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1012520
20 AUGUST 11-24, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC | WYD 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION M ike Landess and Gary Shapiro went to Rome to interview Pope John Paul II. Kathy Walsh was at the airport when the pope arrived in Denver. Jim Benemann remembers President Clinton greeting JPII at Regis University. Members of the Denver media who covered World Youth Day 1993 all had diŸ erent experiences and all shared diŸ erent memories with the Denver Catholic, but they all seemed to agree on one thing about Pope John Paul II. "The guy was a rockstar," said Shapiro, a news anchor at 9News (KUSA). "It was like rockstar status," said Ben- emann, a news anchor at CBS4 (KCNC). "Rockstar status," said Anne Tru- jillo, a news anchor at ABC7 (KMGH). "Especially when you see young people that excited and that willing to travel hundreds, or even thousands of miles to see one man." Twenty-fi ve years later, the "rock- star" is now a saint, and World Youth Day 1993 is still remembered as one of the biggest news stories in Denver history. FROM DENVER TO ROME Denver television stations started planning their coverage months, even a year in advance, and for 9News that included sending a crew to the Vatican for Holy Week in April of 1993 to do preview stories of the pope's visit. "We had an audience with the pope, and we had a crystal mountain that we gave him, and we said, 'We are looking forward to having you in Denver,'" said Mike Landess, who now works at Fox 31/KWGN Channel 2. "We did tons of stories for a (TV) special and the culmination was we got to interview Pope John Paul II," said Shapiro. "It was really cool, it was the highlight of my career, it really was." Landess and Shapiro both said that on this trip they witnessed up-close why this pope was so popular. "He just was such a person of the people and engaged with them and even with the kids that had diŸ erent points of view [on social issues], you could see that he loved them, and they loved him," said Landess. Shapiro added: "We interviewed one of the public relations people at the Vatican and she told us, 'Watch this pope during Mass, because thousands Around the Archdiocese MT. OLIVET CATHOLIC CEMETERY 12801 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO (303) 424-7785 ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER MORTUARY Serving the greater Denver area (303) 425-9511 ST. SIMEON CATHOLIC CEMETERY 22001 E. State Hwy. 30, Aurora, CO (720) 859-9785 Peace of Mind for your Family with Pre-Planning More info at cfcsColorado.org A Ministry of The Archdiocese of Denver WE NEED YOU AT THE MEAL THAT SERVES MANY PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL SAMARITAN HOUSE BENEFIT DINNER WITH KYLE DYER, EMCEE Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 6 p.m. Mile High Station, 2027 Old West Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80204 honoring Shamrock Foods – He Comes to Serve Award The Izard Family – Courteney Saeman Volunteer Award Thousands of people experiencing homelessness have been provided safe shelter, hot meals, love and compassion at Samaritan House since 1986. FOR SPONSORSHIPS AND MORE INFORMATION: Shelly Saeman at ssaeman@ccdenver.org or 720.799.9289 Tickets Available Now! SamsSupper.org SAMARITAN HOUSE 30 YEARS OF MERCY SAM S JAM SAM S sUPPER ' ' — T H E M E A L T H AT S E R V E S M A N Y — BY MARK HAAS mark.haas@archden.org @markhaastv Denver media remembers 'rockstar' pope Gary Shapiro (left) and Mike Landess report from the Vatican prior to WYD '93. PHOTOS PROVIDED