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St. John Paul II’s appearance with more than 20,000 youths at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 3, 1979 was one of the many special moments during the first U.S. visit of his then-young pontificate.
“My life changed that day and I will never, ever forget it,” said Geralyn Smith, who at age 6 had the ultimate honor of being greeted by the pope at The Garden.
The event is also one of “The Garden’s Defining Moments,” and as such will make its premiere on the MSG Network on Wednesday, March 18 at 9:30 a.m. The episode is called, appropriately, “Pope John Paul II Visits The Garden—October 3, 1979.”
Among those interviewed for the special were: Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Father Gregory Chisholm, S.J., Father Michael Morris, Msgr. John O'Keefe and Msgr. Robert Ritchie.
MSG Network will premiere the first 10 episodes of “The Garden’s Defining Moments,” narrated by Academy Award Nominee Liam Neeson, over 10 consecutive nights beginning March 17.
“The Garden’s Defining Moments” is a special 20-part television event presented by SAP, celebrating some of the greatest moments at Madison Square Garden and spanning the legendary venue’s more than 135-year history.
