Somerton family chosen to greet Pope Francis

Gabrielle Bowes had a soccer game Sunday morning, but skipped it because the 9-year-old's father insisted the family attend 10:30 Mass at St. Christopher Catholic Church. He suggested everyone dress nicely, since they would be bringing up the gifts during Communion.

In the quiet final moments of the Mass, Gabrielle sat in the last pew with her sister Riley, 11, brother Matthew, 12, and parents Bernadette and Richard Bowes. The monsignor asked parishioners to stay for a final announcement.

A family from their Somerton church had been chosen to represent the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and greet Pope Francis when he arrives at a private Philadelphia airport on Sept. 26.

That family would be the Boweses.

Bernadette Bowes raised her hands to her mouth, eyes wide and filling with tears, as her children exchanged beaming glances. Richard - the only one who knew what was coming - embraced his wife as 300-plus parishioners stood to applaud.

"It's unfathomable. We didn't know what was going on. I'm just completely overwhelmed right now," Bernadette Bowes said. "We feel very blessed, very grateful. We don't feel like we're worthy enough for something of this caliber."

For the Boweses, who have survived multiple tragedies in the last decade, the honor is a nod to the caliber of their family strength and love.

Richard Bowes, a retired Philadelphia policeman, was injured in the line of duty Sept. 23, 2008, in a North Philadelphia shootout that killed his partner, 30-year-old Patrick McDonald.

Doctors told Bernadette it was a miracle her husband survived. Angels, she said, were looking over him that day.

After five surgeries to remove a bullet lodged in his leg, doctors said Bowes couldn't run anymore, and he retired from the force at age 40.

Soon after the shooting, when money was tight, Msgr. Joseph Garvin sent the family a check to help them make ends meet. Garvin received a card in the mail about a week later from Bernadette.

"She said 'Dear Father Joe, somebody in our parish needs this more than we do. We can make do.' "

The monsignor, who recommended the family to the archdiocese but had no idea if anything would come of it, said the Boweses are the "perfect" ambassadors to greet Pope Francis when he arrives on a chartered flight at Atlantic Aviation airport, near Philadelphia International Airport.

"I couldn't think of a better family to represent the archdiocese and the people of the area. They're just wonderful, wonderful people," Garvin said.

Richard Bowes, a graduate of North Catholic High School, met his wife, an Archbishop Ryan alumna, on a blind date in 1992. They have been together ever since. Now their three children go to St. Christopher Catholic School.

Plans for what to wear to greet the pope, what to bring, or what to say to the pontiff are all still in the works.

"What do you say to the pope?" Bernadette Bowes asked.

"You can't just say, 'Hi' " her husband said.

"I'm going to say, 'Welcome to Philadelphia, I hope you enjoy your stay,' " 11-year-old Riley said.

Sunday's news was especially emotional for the family who buried Bernadette Bowes' mother on Thursday. Joan McLaughlin, 70, had been in hospice care. The doctors said she had between two months and two years to live, but she died in a week.

"I just would have loved to be able to tell my mom," Bernadette Bowes said, her voice breaking. "She would have been gleaming. She really would have. It starts there. It starts with your parents, your roots. They're responsible for our strong faith and our faith has gotten us through so much, so much."

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For full coverage of the pope's visit, go to philly.com/popeEndText

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