Detroit — Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron was a professor at Sacred Heart Seminary when the future St. John Paul II’s helicopter landed on their campus the evening of Sept. 18, 1987.

“That was Friday evening,” the archbishop recalled, recently sharing his recollections with The Michigan Catholic in light of the canonizations of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII.

The helicopter touched down on Sacred Heart’s property on the way to the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, he said. The pope was scheduled to attend an event prior to the main celebrations for the Sept. 18-19 papal visit to Detroit, and the seminary visit wasn’t part of the original itinerary.

Then-Fr. Vigneron, who was teaching philosophy and theology courses at the time, welcomed the pope with a crowd of excited seminarians — and Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka’s sister, Irene — for the brief but memorable visit.

Archbishop Vigneron, who had the role of organizing those receiving Holy Communion from the pope at his Silverdome Mass, said a favorite memory of the visit was of John Paul greeting the seminarians that evening, and of his own being presented to the Holy Father by Cardinal Szoka.

“Cardinal Szoka mentioned to the Holy Father my own philosophical studies which were within the same field as the pope’s,” Archbishop Vigneron said, “so I was very appreciative to that kind of recognition that the pope gave my studies — but especially glad that he had a chance to greet the students.”

Archbishop Vigneron said he believes both St. John Paul II and St. John XXIII “spoke very strongly to call us to a new evangelization.”

He said both popes had a clear sense of the need for both laypeople and clergy, as disciples of Jesus, to be engaged in shaping the world according to God’s plan.

“Pope John called it a New Pentecost; Pope John Paul called it the New Evangelization, and I see them from their places in heaven leading us in this effort,” he said.