ST. CHARLES—Less than a month before Pope Francis would arrive on his apostolic journey to Cuba on September 19-22, 2015, Sean Williams of St. Charles received a phone call from a friend, Marcus Daniel, a tobacconist, in Naples, Florida.

“Marcus had planned a trip to Cuba for this historic occasion and said there was room for my wife Alice and I to attend if we wanted to go,” Sean said.   

“The fact that we were going to be gone for five days from Friday to Tuesday made it an easy decision,” he added. “We did not want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience to see Pope Francis and visit this country.”

As busy entrepreneurs, both Sean and Alice Williams have their own business in downtown St. Charles, too. He owns and manages a popular restaurant and pub and Alice owns a dance studio and theatre academy, where she serves as artistic director.

The Williams’ five children, Jack, Charlie, Caroline, Ada and Teddy, who attend schools from junior high to second grade, would remain back at home under the care of their grandparents.

The family are members of St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles, which has been an integral part of Alice Williams’ life since she was four years old.

With all of the details in place, they flew to Miami, Florida, on Sept. 18. They were introduced to the other 70 people on the tour who arrived from other parts of the U.S. and boarded their flight to Cuba.

“From the moment we got off the plane in Cuba,” said Sean, “we knew this was going to be a very special trip.”

“In Havana,” added Sean, “we stayed at the Capri Hotel, a very old hotel, that has remained unchanged since the 1950s. After our arrival, three busses took us to the Casa de la Amistad, a beautiful mansion in Havana City. We were greeted by President Raul Castro’s son Angel Castro, Cuban statesman Ricardo Alarcon, who served as Cuba’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations for nearly 30 years and Cardinal Jaime Ortega.”

“This took us by surprise and I immediately thought that we must be part of something big.”

As it turned out, the Cuban trip was coordinated for Daniel by Florida rancher John Parke Wright, grandson of patriarch Dr. H.T. Lykes, who joined them all on the tour. The family had owned a 15,000-acre spread in Cuba that was regarded as one of the most productive cattle ranches in the Western Hemisphere. The family lost their ranch when Fidel Castro came to power in 1958 and all of Cuba’s private properties were nationalized. For the past 18 years, Wright has traveled to Cuba once a month to re-establish trade between the U.S. and Cuba.

“Sean loves Cuba and really wanted to go,” said his wife, Alice. “We couldn’t believe the entire trip and how special we were treated.”

The tour group left at 5:45 a.m. to attend the Mass which was held on Sunday, Sept. 20. “We had to go through security when we entered the area,” Alice continued. “Unbelievably, we sat just ten rows behind the altar and in front of the press. Behind them were over 300,000 people. The Mass with Pope Francis was so beautiful.  Even though it was in Spanish, we had a program and it was so easy to follow the Mass.”

She added that “it was wonderful to see how excited the people were to see Pope Francis.”

Approximately 30 percent of Cuba is Roman Catholic.

Sean and Alice noted that the altar was set in Revolution Square and behind it were large photos of Fidel Castro and revolutionary Che Guevarra which are permanently positioned on the government buildings.

They were able to go behind the altar after Mass. “Pope Francis has a radiant smile,” Alice said. “Sean was able to get closer to Pope Francis,” she said, “but there also were many priests who were trying to get the attention of Pope Francis.”

“We also brought back home rosaries blessed by Pope Francis,” she said.

“Cuba is a beautiful country,” added Sean. “The architecture is extraordinary but there is no infrastructure. It is unchanged since the 1950s. The people are beautiful, inside and out, and very kind too. As a socialist country, they receive universal education and healthcare but as many people told us, ‘we don’t have a lot, but we have enough.’”

As they reflected on their trip, the Williams couldn’t help but think about the Cuban people and how their lives will change with the lifting of the embargo. “It might take time to bridge the gap,” said Sean. “Most Cubans have their own small businesses. Since I own a restaurant, I was happy to see that the government is now partnering with the Cuban people who wanted to have their own restaurants. They will be able to keep their profits after expenses and taxes.”

Sean has already planned another trip to Cuba this November with Marcus Daniel to see more of the country. “The people are amazing and I felt totally safe,” he said.