When man of God warmed hearts... (From Barry And District News)

When man of God warmed hearts...

BARRY and Vale people flocked to see the Pope when he visited the area in June, 1982.

He kissed Welsh soil when he landed at Cardiff-Wales Airport at 9.12am, and was met by a line of VIPs. First in the line was the then mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan, Mrs Susan Thomas, who was introduced to the Pontiff by the Lord Lieutenant of the Counties of Glamorgan, Sir Cenydd Traherne.

Next to be introduced was Vale mayoress Helen Watts Jones, who was followed by John Gau, the chief executive of the Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council, and his wife.

The Pope spent more than an hour in Rhoose, where after meeting the dignitaries, he went to the crowd waiting to greet him.

At the front of the crowd were seven residents of Barry's Gladstone Road hostel for mentally handicapped children, who been taken to the airport by hostel matron Margaret May, with the assistance of Barry Round Table

Also there was Mrs May's son-in-law Jim Pearce. With him he had his seven-month-old son Christian, who was blessed by the Pope, who then embraced Mr Pearce in a gesture that was seen by millions thanks to the international camera crews who caught the moment on film.

Mr Pearce's wife Kath- leen, and the couple's two other children were also blessed by the Pope.

At the time Mrs Pearce, of Highlight Park, said: "It was the most tremendous experience of my life and it has changed my whole outlook."