Nearly two-dozen people had an experience of a lifetime when they had a chance to participate in the papal Mass Thursday.

Twenty-year-old elated Colleen Moores was one of 16 Catholics to have had the honor of bringing the bread and wine to the altar. "It felt like a dream. A wonderful dream come true. I never thought I was going to meet the pope."

It was one hour into the Mass that Colleen came face to face with the leader of the church, "He blessed my face, touched my face, made me feel like a wonderful person."

Colleen's longtime friend and aide, Joe LaHood was by her side. "She was great and when he came down the stairs and put his hand on her head, it was amazing," he said.

Perhaps the most joy was felt by Colleen's parents who watched with pride from the stands as their daughter took part in this historic event.

Colleen's father, Russell Moores, thought the Mass was an experience to remember, "When we saw the pope and he touched her face and gave her the rosary, we were in a section with people from our parish--there were a lot of moist eyes--a lot of tears, it was very, very moving."

"It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Missey Moores, Colleen's mother, said, "We thought we would know what we would feel like but you don't. It was so beautiful."

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