NEW YORK CITY, NY — Oliver King is known to members of the community for writing, producing and directing a play commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Town of Bethel in 2009, but he is also a life-long Catholic with deep ties to St. Peter’s Church in Monticello. On September 26, King had the opportunity to take a bus ride with his pastor, Father John Tran, and fellow parishioners, as well as some from Narrowsburg and Wurtsboro, to attend a service presided over by Pope Francis.

King said that after the bus got through the Lincoln Tunnel, the bus was stopped at a checkpoint. After that the group had a police escort to the front door of Madison Square Garden. Asked about his experience at the service, King said, “It was just phenomenal. I can’t think of any other word to describe it. As a Pope he is incredible, but as a man, the humility that he exudes is heartwarming. He doesn’t make use of all of the amenities that a Pope usually has, he drives around Rome in a little car of his own. He does so many things that are so unusual for the head of the Roman Catholic Church to do.”

King pointed out that the Pontiff is the only Pope Francis in the history of the church, named after St. Francis of Assisi, who had a special affinity for animals and the environment. Pope Francis also cares a great deal about people. King noted that during his visit to this country, it was clear that he “wanted to be close to the people, pulling children and the handicapped close to him. This is just unheard of; it’s never been done before.”

King said by the time the Mass started at 3 p.m., the arena was packed and, “The thing that I felt more than anything is that everybody there was feeling the same thing, the magnificence of this man, the wonder of his connection with the people.”

King and his siblings were raised Roman Catholic from birth, and he attended Catholic school for 12 years. The Pope Francis visit was not the first time King felt the excitement of a visiting Pope. In the early ‘60s, King’s family had just purchased a home in Queens not far from Kennedy Airport, where Pope John 23rd landed for a visit to New York City. King said, “Our entire community was aware of the visit, how exciting it was for everyone and how the TV was filled with news of the visit.”

But the next occasion that brought King close to another Pope was far more memorable. He attended the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany in 1972, when 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and ultimately murdered. He was performing there with a street theater company, and the Olympic event was cut short, leaving him with time to fill.

Many of his group returned home early, but he decided to use the extra time hitch-hiking to Rome and experiencing Europe. Hitchhiking was a new experience for him, but people were helpful and gave him rides.

He said he knew he had to go to the Vatican while he was in Rome. He entered the Basilica, and there was a group of nuns singing inside, and the acoustics were magnificent. He said it was a bit like being in the Twilight Zone.

The doors to the Sistine Chapel were set to open at 12 noon, but they opened about 20 minutes late, and when they did, out walked Pope Paul VI with the governor of Rome.

The Pope apologized for opening the chapel late, but said he had been involved in an important meeting. King was standing in the front of the crowd of people, and before the Pope left, he shook King’s hand and touched his head, after which King visited the historic Sistine Chapel.

King said that he is aware that over the church’s long history, some of the early Popes have been controversial. “In the history of our church, I’ve heard so many viewpoints of how things panned out over the years and centuries, but having Pope Francis at this point in time, none of that seems important. With Pope Francis, he seems to wipe anything bad away.”

King’s ties to St. Peters have grown over the years, and he is now a choir member, lector and teaches religious education. In June he was also inducted into the Knights of Columbus.

King lives in Kauneonga Lake, and travels to New York City, where he continues to be involved in theater, dance and musical productions.