In a lighthearted moment, Father Daren Zehnle poses with a life-sized cutout of Pope Benedict XVI at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Father Zehnle)

Every pilgrim seeks to leave home for a holy place and purpose, and to return home changed by the experience. Such was my intention in setting out for Washington, D.C., and New York City to participate in Pope Benedict's first pastoral visit to the United States.

Five years ago I was privileged to meet then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger at the German College in Rome. It was only a brief encounter after the celebration of Mass, but those few moments I will cherish to the end of my days.

Prior to that Thursday morning in January, I had only a vague notion of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I knew his reputation as a man of deep learning and prayer. That morning I also saw in him a man of deep concern and gentleness. With his quiet and unassuming manner, his genuine smile radiated the love of Christ Jesus.

I felt a spiritual bond with this quiet man of Bavaria who felt himself to be the Lord's "beast of burden." His simplicity, his knowledge and wisdom, and his love of Jesus Christ drew me to him and I began to pour through his works and I came to admire him greatly.

I have followed Pope Benedict XVI closely, reading and listening to as many of his words as possible. I watched with delight and with love this man, who wanted nothing more than to retire to his homeland to write books, grow into his role as the Vicar of Christ on earth. My admiration and love for this "humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord" has only grown with these past three years.

My excitement was almost uncontrollable at the announcement that the Holy Father would visit the United States of America, especially when I learned that I received a ticket to the Papal Masses in both Washington, D.C., and in New York.

To be able to follow the Holy Father throughout his visit to the U.S., both on Pennsylvania Avenue, in Nationals Stadium and in Yankee Stadium, as well as on television, was a great blessing indeed.

In each of the Holy Father's addresses you could sense his intellectual prowess and his deep desire to lead all people to Jesus Christ. Pope Benedict XVI has asked each of us - in many different ways - to renew our faith in Christ our hope.

When I consider the knowledge, the wisdom, the reverence, the spirituality and the love of Pope Benedict XVI, I see the kind of priest I want to be. I, too, want to be wholly devoted to the service of God and the church in whatever way should be asked of me. There are many priests who seek to model their priestly ministry after the example of Pope John Paul II; I want to model my priestly ministry after the example of Pope Benedict XVI.

Father Daren Zehnle is parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Effingham.