4 Children Have Greetings for Pope Down Pat

A little girl who fled Beirut two years ago and three other Catholic school children will greet Pope John Paul II with flowers and little speeches at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday.

The children, introduced at a news conference Friday, were chosen to represent the ethnic diversity and geographical regions of the three-county archdiocese, said Sister Cecilia Louise Moore, an education official.

Wearing their school uniforms and with family members looking on, the children stood nervously and recited the greetings they will say to the Pope on Tuesday.

“Welcome to Los Angeles, Holy Father. I am so happy you are here. I pray for the needy and for peace. I am so lucky to have been chosen to meet you. This is the happiest day of my life,” said Nathalie Soueidan, 8, of St. Philip’s Parish in Sierra Madre.

Nathalie will present the Pope a Bird of Paradise plant, the city flower. Her prayer for peace is real: She was 6 when her family came to California from Lebanon in September, 1985, said her mother, Violette Soueidan.

Edward Pina, 10, of Divine Saviour Parish in Los Angeles, will be next in line at the airport and will present a flower sculpture of the archdiocese’s coat of arms.

“I hope you have a wonderful time here,” he will tell the Pope. “I would like you to give a special blessing to all the children of the world. Some day I hope to see you again.”

Seven-year-old Wendy Nicole Balleras of St. Catherine’s in Torrance will tell the Pope she is proud that he has come and that she was able to meet him.

Erik C. Aiken, 10, of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Los Angeles has the job of presenting a flower sculpture logo designed for the papal visit.

“We are very glad to meet you, Holy Father,” he will say. “This is a special gift for you from us. I will always remember this day and I hope you will like it here.”

Nathalie, Edward, Wendy and Erik represent, respectively, Caucasian, Pacific islander (Filipino), Hispanic and black groups in the archdiocese.