NEW YORK – With every sighting comes the cry of excitement. Cellphone video captured Pope Francis making his way around New York City before he ended his night at the papal apartment.
If only for a few seconds, Eliza Cotto said everything in the world seemed all right.
"He was on that side of the street and he waved at me," Cotto said. "It was amazing. What a feeling. I feel blessed."
Cotto joined a growing crowd on Madison Avenue and 72nd Street, hoping to score video or a picture of the pontiff.
For many, the last-minute trek up the famed street capped the ending of a historic day.
"You really do feel a sense of peace and a great blessing to have him here," Valerie Lettan said. "I'm so excited to have him in NYC."
Unlike the Vatican embassy in Washington, this was about as close as the faithful would get to the papal apartment. The Secret Service expanded the security perimeter late Thursday, expecting larger crowds at the home where Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul both stayed in when they visited New York City.
"I feel like I had his blessing as he was passing by me," one person said. "I'm still here on 72nd Street trying to see him again."
Doormen at neighboring buildings on the edge of Manhattan's Museum Row were replaced by New York police officers.
No one, not even the owners of multimillion-dollar homes, can come or go once the pope is on the move.
Follow Carlos Suarez on Twitter @CarlosWPLG
Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10
Local 10 News waits for the popemobil in Philadelphia, Sunday.