PUBLISHED ONSeptember 11, 2024 9:52 AMByChing Shi JieKhoo Yi-HangIn November 1986, the late Pope John Paul II knelt to kiss the tarmac at Changi Airport upon his arrival to Singapore.
His traditional gesture to mark a state visit was followed by songs and prayer at the old National Stadium, before blessing the crowd of some 70,000 people there.
Devout Catholic Ronnie Lim, however, did not have much to say about Pope John Paul II visit.
"I didn't attend the mass at the National Stadium," said the 63-year-old in an interview with AsiaOne. "And I don't really remember much about that visit."
Lim was 25 years old then.
Given that the last pope to visit Singapore lasted only five hours, Lim's reaction is entirely understandable.
Now, with the arrival of Pope Francis on Wednesday (Sept 11) for a three-day visit, Lim is excited to create new memories of his own.
Along with his wife and daughter, he is among the 5,000 volunteers who have signed up to sing, cheer, document and support the pontiff's visit.
Lim, who is in charge of organising Thursday's papal mass, first learnt about the opportunity last December - months before the Vatican announced that the pope will be concluding his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour in Singapore.
Many of the volunteers, including from Lim's family, have taken leave from work for training and rehearsals in the weeks leading up to the pope's visit.
"When you start, everybody's excited, everybody's relaxed", said the full-time events planner. "But for the last two weeks, it's been like 15-hour days, we finish at about 2am or 3am, and we get up at nine o'clock and start all over again.
"But it has been a fun ride."
For Lim's wife Pauline, the pope's visit is more than just a "good chance to celebrate as one church".
"It's an adventure of our lives," she said about volunteering with the family.
Ahead of Thursday evening's mass with some 50,000 Roman Catholics, AsiaOne was given a tour of the National Stadium on Tuesday (Sept 10).
Dance choreographer Stephanie Lee, 28, said that her team of 50 - comprising dancers and crew - started rehearsals in mid-July with three-hour sessions every week.
Lee, a full-time dance instructor, said: "A majority of my team are working adults, so having them carve out their weekends, their weeknights was a sacrifice that everybody had to make.
"But it was a joy that people were willing to give their time to serve and to be part of something much bigger than ourselves."
There were also volunteers who were assigned to the security team for the mass.
Kevin Ho, co-chairman of the security and safety sub-committee for the visit, said that around 50 people of them have been trained in martial arts ahead of the event.
They were also taught defensive tactics to disengage aggressive individuals and get the police to help.
This scenario-based training is part of a security programme introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs to help them spot high-risk individuals and put them through enhanced checks.
"We try to take the soft approach. This is a Christian event - it's all about encountering Christ. We won't really be harsh but want to use a humane way of dealing with people," he said.
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