Pope Draws Some Of Washington's Biggest Names
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Pope Benedict XVI's Mass at Nationals Park on Thursday drew 40,000, including some of Washington's most prominent business and government figures.
Raul Fernandez, a venture capitalist and a part-owner of the Washington Capitals, was in the front row with his wife, Jean-Marie Fernandez, and their 6-year-old daughter, Sofia.
A few rows behind Fernandez was AOL co-founder James V. Kimsey. William E. Conway Jr. and Daniel A. D'Aniello, two of the three co-founders of private-equity giant Carlyle Group, were nearby. Venture capitalist Mark Ein was also there.
Others in the crowd included Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, District Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, former D.C. mayor Anthony A. Williams and Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.
"The archdiocese asked if we would like to attend and we said 'Absolutely,' " said Fernandez, who is active in Catholic charities. "We were lucky enough to have incredible seats and a chance to receive communion from the Holy Father. He stopped and blessed my daughter, Sofia, on the head. And on the way out, he looked at her and shook her hand. She was mesmerized."
It was the second papal blessing for Sofia. John Paul II blessed her in Rome when she was a baby.
Fernandez and his family part of the Lucky 50 who received communion directly from the pope. A few miles away, Fernandez's close friend Ted Leonsis, majority owner of the Capitals, was watching CNN and saw Fernandez, who had a Washington Capitals pin firmly stuck in his lapel.
Within minutes of the end of the Mass, Leonsis was on the phone to his friend.
"Ted e-mailed me while he was working out and said he saw Jean-Marie and me on TV, and I told him I had my Caps pin on my lapel during Mass. He told me not to change and go straight to the game that night against Philly. He said he wanted the full effect from the Pope to help us win the game," Fernandez said.
The Capitals lost 5-3 in double overtime.
Fernandez said he planned on wearing the same pin to Saturday's playoff game. The Capitals won that one 3-2.
-- Thomas Heath
