Having travelled to Sydney to join thousands of other World Youth Day (WYD) volunteers from all over Australia, Sister Margaret, who is also the assistant principal at the Sacred Heart Infants School, had the opportunity to meet the Pope as he arrived at the Memorial Chapel at Mary MacKillop Place, where the Tomb of Mary MacKillop is housed.

Sister Margaret, who had been helping to conduct tours of Mary MacKillop Place, said that she had never expected to have the opportunity to meet the leader of the Catholic Church.

She had sat at the back of the church, “like a good Catholic does,” so was surprised when the Pope walked into the Church and shook the hands of all eight people in the back two rows.

“He seemed like a very gentle man who was extremely happy to be here,” said Sister Margaret.

Grasping Sister Margaret’s hand in both of his, he nodded at the nun and smiled before he walked on.

After the service the Pope was presented with a sculpture of Mary MacKillop after which he presented Mary MacKilliop Place with a statue of St Joseph.

According to Sister Margaret, WYD was a “joyful event” during which time the streets of Sydney were crammed packed with enthusiastic people eager to make new friends and share their happiness.

WYD celebrations also proved an exciting time for six-year old Dominic Gibson who said he had “never seen a Pope before”.

“He looked really good and he was wearing red, white and a white hat.

“He looked very happy too.”

The Gibson family had travelled to Sydney to join the WYD festivities, having earlier welcomed two pilgrims into their home.