At first the pilgrims were hopeful, but soon exhaustion and frustration set in.
PHILADELPHIA -- After more than four hours of waiting in line with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, some decided it just wasn't worth it.
Thousands of people were stuck outside of the security checkpoints well past the beginning of the Papal mass Sunday afternoon.
Huge crowds gathered near the big screen TVs outside the parkway perimeter to watch Pope Francis' Mass after they weren't able to get through security. (Joseph P. Owens | For NJ.com) While some gave up, thousands more were patient and --even minutes before Pope Francis' nearly two-hour Mass ended -- they were still optimistic they'd get a glimpse of the Holy Father in person.
Aeletha Kelly, who lives in Vermont, said she had been in line since around 1 p.m.
"We are still standing here so hopefully will get it in there," she said.
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Three hours before the Mass began, the 20th Street entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway had a line past Arch Street, a mere three blocks away, but what should have been a five-minute walk on a normal day took hours to traverse.
At first the mood was joyful with discussion of the ongoing Eagles game, chants, prayers and even the wave going through the crowd.
By 4:30 p.m., however, the mood had shifted and the crowd quieted.
Exhaustion began setting in.
Conversation shifted from football to how much longer the line would be. People began turning around, fighting the tide back to a space free of the masses.
A block over on 19th Street -- which was a general admission entrance -- the experience was similar, according to Liz Parks who had traveled from Pennsville to see Pope Francis.
The line has come to a complete standstill by 4 p.m. and she was wondering if they were even letting people in anymore, but she was still optimistic about the experience.
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"Surprisingly no one's temper is flaring up," she said. "It is what it is. We're still having a good time. We don't want to give up."
A spokesman for the Secret Service attributed the delays to choices people made about which security checkpoint they would try to go through. He said the Secret Service and the city issued maps well ahead of the event that showed where checkpoints would be, and it was up to people to chose the one they wanted to enter through.
Minutes after the Mass began, the city's Joint Information Center -- which was staffed by Philadelphia Police, U.S. Secret Service and other agencies -- issued a statement saying all security checkpoints would remain open and people would continue to be screened.
But those in line didn't seem to think that was the case.
"We're disappointed," Boston resident Mary Correia said after the Mass ended. She came all the way from Boston with her church group and had been waiting since 11:30 a.m.
"I don't think they prepared for the event," said fellow church member Odair Ramos.
Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.