The following reflection was written by Jeff Bruno, a freelance photographer and member of St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, who traveled to Rome for the historic Beatification of Pope John Paul II.

When it was finally confirmed that I was going to be able to attend and cover the events of the Beatification of ‘Papa,’ which took months, the excitement and exhilaration were uncontainable. But, I had no idea what I was in for.

My job is to ‘tell’ or ‘reveal’ a story. Photojournalism is an interesting field; they say that picture’s worth a thousand words, sure, but what are the words? And whose words are they? The photographer’s? The subject’s? The viewer’s? A mix to be sure, but when an image is really, really, solid, the message is not buried in some convoluted, unrelatable clutter of colors and shadows… it becomes real. A photographer’s greatest reward is to ‘like’ an image that he or she has captured… it’s probably one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Now, allow me to clarify something, I’m relating this directly to photojournalism, not other areas of photography, all of which share aspects of this, but photojournalism is probably more depending on the ‘decisive’ moment and (to quote the famous French street photographer, Henri Cartier Bresson) timing is everything. And in that I have to say skill plays a certain role. Skill being defined as having an idea of what you see and the story you want to tell, for example, if its joy, sorrow, inhumanity, pain, etc. Being able to have that idea or vision in that back of your mind and be sensitive to the events as they lie before you, looking for the action, so to speak, then deciding if you work close or keep your distance as to not interrupt the moment, putting the viewfinder to your eye and searching for the frame,  praying your settings are right, and releasing the shutter at the moment you think you see something – that’s the skill – but there is one other thing, almost more important that skill: luck. Luck is a huge factor in photojournalism, but then again, if you’re really lucky there are also miracles.

Anytime I show up for an assignment, I get a little flustered, fear of the unknown, I suppose. Normally, you come in cold, don’t know the people, the location, the lighting etc… so there’s a tremendous amount of initial anxiety and assessment of a situation upon arrival, for me anyway. Well, this assignment was, once the afterglow of getting it faded, absolutely terrifying. I don’t speak Italian, I don’t know Rome, it’s the first time I’m working for multiple agencies on one assignment, I’m on a shoestring budget, and then there’s jetlag, sickness, fear of equipment failure or worse!

But in the end, I covered seven major events in five days, got about 12 hours of sleep over the course of the entire trip and I wasn’t tired at all!

Finding My Way
Upon landing in Fumincio Airport in Rome the reality started to kick in – I’m a stranger in a strange land with a workload that would break a horses back. It’s a funny thing though, just like when you arrive at an assignment with all the pressures and demands that it entails, you have to push past all that and start moving, looking, doing… and in that act you start to stop feeling fear and begin to start directing all that adrenaline and emotional energy towards doing what needs to be done.

The first challenge was to figure out how to get around. There’s an ‘express’ train that runs from FCO Airport to Termini Station in the center of Rome. That wasn’t all that bad to manage, and 14 Euros beats a 50 Euro taxi ride. Now being a New Yorker, I carry a bit of swagger when it comes to subways, buses, mass transit in general (it took me a day for me learn to navigate Paris). Well the problem with overconfidence is that when the reality is different than what you expect you become rather discombobulated.

For starters, Rome is not flat, like the map is, it’s very hilly. And my hotel was on Via Flaminia about 3.5, twisty, hilly miles from the Vatican… not so walkable with a 45-pound camera bag. A more humble Jeffrey Bruno, sans swagger,  finally got things worked out and settled in.

Well. Now that I’m all set I checked my list of things to do:

1-     Cover my assignments.
2-     Go to Mass every day in the Vatican.
3-     Go to Adoration in the evenings.
4-     Shoot the statues and other things of beauty around St. Peter’s.
5-     Drink some good Italian wine.
6-     Eat  some great Italian food.
7-     Tour around Rome and see the Coliseum and the Forum.
8-     And much, much more….

Guess how many things I accomplished? If you guessed none, you’d be close. No Mass (well, a few), no adoration, no statues (again, just a few), no wine (OK, a little), no food, no tour, no Gelato… the best laid plans.

Meet the Vatican Security
The assignments took on a life of their own, and COMPLETELY dominated the trip. The first important assignment was to cover the Sirius/XM Radio Talk Show Host, Lino Rulli, who was broadcasting live from the Vatican with Father Rob Kegron, Maureen McMurray, Ryan Stewart and Busted Halo host Father Dave Dwyer.

Now, let me tell you something about security at the Vatican. To say they take it seriously, is like saying Derek Jeter likes baseball… and even that’s a gross understatement. I received my Vatican Press Credentials, from the Vatican Press Office through the ZENIT news wire service. The credentials are all access, except where you can’t get access, as I learned.

So I arrive to cover this first assignment and mosey on up to the Paul the XI Auditorium to check in an hour or so before the assignment, and they practically throw me out of Rome!!! After a lot of back peddling, smiling and smooth talking they agreed to grant me a limited access to the location where the broadcast was happening – but I had to hand over my passport. As it turns out, that area was very, very, restricted.

From that point, meeting up with Lino and the gang went swimmingly. If you have never listened to his brand of humor, you owe it to yourself to check him out. in a nut shell, he’s the Catholic Howard Stern. And before you jump to conclusions, the show is under the jurisdiction of New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, and HE likes it. (The Catholic Channel Sirius/XM 129)



The Vatican had set up two locations, or “media centers” for journalists to work from during the events of the April 30 – May 4. They were big rooms with lots of computers, coffee, tables full of briefings in different languages and a staff there to assist journalists, photojournalists and video production folks with their work. The center became my second home while working the assignments; stopping in at various times to upload images to the mother ship, get updates and briefings. I met journalists from all over the world, many from Catholic media, and developed some new friendships that will surely grow over time.

On Saturday April 30, I met the founder of ZENIT, Jesus Colina. He’s a very gracious, well spoken individual with a vision for connecting the Church to the world that’s without parallel. They launched a new agency called H20 and as of May 1 another called Aeletia. We went back to the ZENIT headquarters where I has so warmly received I can’t even begin to describe it, I’ve never been made to feel so at home. Much to my surprise, the company is run a team of very cool, young, ethnically diverse individuals who ‘get it.’ After a great meeting and discussion about the Church, the Beatification and logistics, Mr. Colina made the – as he stated – ‘historic’ announcement, “Jeffrey Bruno is the first photographer in the history of ZENIT.”

I’m sitting there thinking “If this is a dream, don’t wake me up.”

An Evening in Circo Massimo
As the darkness rolled in, I made my way over (in a car provided by ZENIT, woo hoo!!) to my next assignment at Circo Massimo as its referred to by the Italians, or Circus Maximus in its native Latin. Circo Massimo is an ‘old racetrack,’ and in Rome, old means the year it was built as in the single digits. It was originally used for chariot races.

The evening was nothing short of magical. Half a million people, all with candles mind you, an orchestra and choir conducted by the preeminent Msgr. Marco Fresina, testimonies, stories and reflections by some of Pope John Paul II’s closest friends and even the nun who had been miraculously healed through his intercession.

This culminated in the recitation of the Luminous Mysteries. If you ever feel like being completely blown away by God’s presence, it’s very simple. Get half a million people together to recite the Rosary under a starry sky in praise and thanksgiving for the gift of the life of a future saint. The sound and emotion absolutely defies any description that I could possibly write.

The Day Arrives
May 1, St. Peter’s Square, 7:00 a.m.

I was in St. Peter’s Square as the first wave of pilgrims were entering. You could feel the energy… you feel the joy… it was unmistakable. It wasn’t a loud, raucous vibe, it was just below the surface, ready to let loose.

With every wave of pilgrims entering the Square the cheers increased. The ‘Servicio,’ thousands of volunteers wearing yellow vests, were tasked with controlling the rate of influx into the square. They’d  divide the people into groups of about a thousand, lock arms to form a blockade in front of the group and then group by group they’d slowly lead them into the square.

The threat of rain remained in the forecast and the skies confirmed it. As the pilgrims filled St. Peter’s Square, the spirit of ‘Deo Gratis’ filled the air. You could feel the faith. These people came from all over  the world to say thanks to God for a man whose life was probably one greatest witnesses in our time to what it means to be a saint. A man of ‘heroic virtue,’ and man of prayer, a man devoted to the flock he was entrusted with, a man who had true courage and an unwavering faith in a merciful, loving God.

Miracles of Blessed John Paul II
I can name three ‘miraculous’ instances that occurred to me personally within 24 hours. Sure, some people might say it was luck, or being at the right place at the right time. Well, once, OK. Twice hmmm… but three times? Downright spooky.

The first time was on Friday. I was standing around, minding my own business, trying to capture the wet pilgrims when I saw a pile of people at the gate leading to the ‘Un Omaggio Di Benedetto XVI in Oca Del Beatificazione’ Exhibition. This was a ‘Liberty Science Center’ type exhibit of the life of Pope John Paul II. Multimedia, articles of clothing, stories, etc., all very beautifully done. There were a handful of photojournalists present, looking particularly alert. As I approached, I noticed very heavy security presence; Swiss Guards, Caribinieri and some Secret Service types. A lady behind the gate started pointing at people with credentials in the crowd to let them in. It was a melee, everybody trying to get into this thing. She then pointed to a photographer standing beside me and I figured, “What the heck?” So I stayed as close as I could to him and tried to follow him through the gate. They stopped me of course. And I looked at the lady and smiled….she looked at my pass, looked at me, grabbed my shoulder and pulled me in from the crowd and said “OK.”

So I was in – but in what? I ran to catch up with the other journalists, and before I could really figure out what was going on, right in front of me, literally, was Bronis³aw Komorowski, the president of the Republic of Poland and Anna Komorowski, the First Lady! It turns out we were going to accompany them through the tour!

The second miracle occurred when I was at the Prayer Vigil at Circo Massimo. The press, including me, were given strict instructions to keep a low profile or risk being kicked out. They never really specified where we could or couldn’t go, I guess it was implied. The stage was about 400 feet wide and divided in the center by a huge banner with an image of Pope John Paul II. On the right side, were about 50 cardinals, and a host of Church dignitaries, and on the right side was the Orchestra and Choir led by Msgr. Frescino.

I had spent over an hour covering the crowd and was looking for a new perspective. Strangely enough there didn’t seem to be any security on the left side of the stage. So a started walking there. I kept walking, and ended up behind the stage. There were lots of crew and security, but I guess they figured that I belonged there too. So, figuring I’ve come this far, I started to walk up onto the stage (the area behind the dividing banner) and I found myself with a choir to my right and cardinals to my left. And I was the only photographer there!

But the third time was really something. At about 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square on the day of the Beatification, I had been covering the influx of pilgrims for a few hours. I saw a small group of photographers at the foot of the stairs of the altar were the Mass would be celebrated. I wandered on over to see what was going on. There was a photographer from the bishops’ conference of the UK, who I met the day before. He informed me that this was ‘Pool Zero,’ the group that would be allowed to cover the pope when he arrived.

Now you have to understand, there were over 500 photographers, major league types, with $50K worth of gear each, assistants, satellite uplinks, etc. … and then there was me. This was the elite group, The Twenty, and I was not one of them.

Suddenly security personal surrounded us and started checking credentials and forcibly ejecting those with the wrong ones, of which I was one. A lady officer looked at me, put her finger on my chest and said “NO,” but then she was distracted by something and walked away. A few moments later, the big boss came around. He glared at me, he glared at my pass, he glared at me again… and terrified Jeff uttered one word…. “Please?” His looked softened and after a long pause… he sort of smiled and said, “Okay.”

At this point the ones left were all approved, and we were swept away in a sea of security to the location we would be shooting from. We were divided into two groups, on either side of the isle leading to the altar. Had I begged, pleaded, bribed, married into a different family, had the last name of Ratzinger, I could not have managed to secure this two-foot-square real estate that I would occupy for next few moments. A week earlier, I was scraping up money for the bus, and wondering if I could afford a new pair of jeans for the trip. I was just a guy from St. Mary’s in Barnegat, struggling to get by… and yet here I stood. You can think what you want, but I’m convinced this was another JPII miracle.



If George Lucas was in charge of the weather for the weekend, it’s doubtful that he could have done a more dramatic a job. On Saturday, many of the pilgrims looked like wet rats. And the forecast for Saturday evening and Sunday wasn’t very promising either.  This might be the most under reported facet of the day – it was literally within 15 minutes of Pope Benedict XVI’s proclamation of Beatification that the skies cleared – and I mean CLEARED – from a sober grey sky, to the most luscious shade of blue, blotted with a only a few absolutely amazing clouds, to paint the perfect backdrop for the event. Another miracle?

Since we’re tallying miracles, the very fact that I was standing in St. Peter’s Square that day was a miracle in itself. One short year ago my family and I were facing foreclosure and financial ruin. We made it through by the skin of our teeth, thanks be to God and the good friends he surrounded us with. So to think that one year later, I’d be in the Vatican, with a rather expensive collection of camera equipment (rental gear, but nonetheless) covering this event, was not only unthinkable, it would have been laughable.



I don’t think there was a person present who wasn’t deeply moved in some way. I can’t put my finger on it, but there was this ‘grace’ buzz that seemed to permeate everything and everyone. It was like we were all exposed to some kind of ‘spiritual radiation’ or something.

Speaking for myself, I came away from the events of the weekend a changed man. The funny thing, for me, was that there was no memorable ‘moment’ of change, or healing, I just walked out of there changed and healed. I guess God does what he wants the way he wants to. For having been there, the change in me is profound. There were things that plagued me that seem to have been lifted from my shoulders. There is a new clarity to seeing God’s hand in my life, and the direction in which he is guiding me.  And a burning passion to love and serve.

I don’t know if it was the Apostolic Blessing, the spirit of JPII’s intercessory prayer, the Holy Spirit, or the million and a half voices crying out to God in unison with a soul-deep sense of thanksgiving that caused all these things to happen. Maybe it was simply God’s grace. But I can tell you this: there’s no substitute for being at the right place, at the right time, and that may just have been the miracle.


On a personal note, I would like to extend my deepest, heartfelt thanks to everyone whose prayers, support and encouragement made this possible. And as I said to many of you, as I stood in the Square of St. Peter’s under the sunny, blue skies at the moment of beatification, you were there with me.