NEW YORK — Amidst a sea of purple, gold and white, and before 60,000 joy-filled faces on April 20, Pope Benedict XVI concluded his six-day visit to the United States with a Mass honoring the bicentennials of the Archdioceses of Louisville, Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

The service also honored the elevation of the diocese of Baltimore, Md. — the nation’s first — to an archdiocese at the same time the other dioceses were created on April 8, 1808.

More than 600 people from Louisville attended the Mass in famed Yankee Stadium, including more than 400 who made the trip by buses, traveling 13-to-14 hours each way. Those on the buses spent Saturday night at hotels in New Jersey before continuing their trip, while the rest of the archdiocese’s contingent came to New York by air.

Whatever their mode of travel, the people of Louisville were part of an emotion-filled event that, from time to time, had more the look and feel of a pep rally than a religious service.

Until Pope Benedict began the Mass.

Then an estimated 60,000 people grew as quiet as any service in a local parish, and the baseball stadium known as the “house that (Babe) Ruth built” was turned, for a few hours last Sunday, into a huge outdoor church.

“I could not believe how quiet, how reverent the whole stadium became,” said Joan Montgomery, a member of Holy Spirit Church. “When the pope was speaking, every person in Yankee Stadium was listening. It was an amazing experience.”

Amazing on many levels. The day began with a chilly wind and gray, low-hanging clouds. But about 40 minutes before Pope Benedict appeared, the sun stopped playing hide-and-seek and came out for the duration of the afternoon. As the day progressed many people who were layered in coats and sweatshirts ended up carrying their warm clothing. More than a few were sunburned.

They represented all 195 of the nation’s dioceses and archdioceses, and they often found that simply arriving in the vicinity of Yankee Stadium didn’t mark the end of the journey. The lines of the faithful stretched in every direction throughout the ballpark’s Bronx neighborhood. Once inside the stadium — which will be replaced next year by a new one — the queues narrowed and tightened.

For a long time, people simply stood; and then they fretted.

“They told us before that the gates would be closed at noon,” said Kyle Schneider, 15, a Trinity High School student who came to New York with his family.

“We didn’t get into the stadium until 12:41 (p.m.),” he said. “We were all afraid we weren’t going to make it.”

But make it they did as officials, noting the time it was taking for people to enter the stadium, left the gates open until nearly all the seats were filled. The pope arrived at the stadium at 2:10 p.m., and the Mass began 20 minutes later.

When people did make their way to their seats, they saw an iconic baseball stadium filled with smiling faces and a spirit that seemed to flow from the center section of its highest level — a group of seats that held Hispanic members of the Archdiocese of Boston.

“Did you see who brought the spirit to the Mass today?” Father David Sanchez, pastor of St. Joseph and Holy Name churches, asked after the pope had left the stadium.

“It was the Hispanics,” he said, “and it spread all the way around to all the people.”

The group from Boston began rhythmic clapping and chanting “Benedetto, Benedetto,” and “Viva Papa, Viva Papa!” As Father Sanchez said, their enthusiasm was infectious and from time to time others around the stadium joined in.

“We’re seeing the church and the society change right before our eye,” Father Sanchez said with a smile.

The whole stadium changed, too, when the pope entered. Sixty-thousand people rose as one, and the applause and cheering were sustained as he rode the popemobile around much of the field. The crowd rose and cheered again when Pope Benedict processed to the altar behind priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals — including Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, retired Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly and 18 priests of the Archdiocese of Louisville.

People from each of the archdioceses honored during the Mass yelled and screamed when the names of Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Louisville were spoken by New York’s Cardinal Edward Egan during his introductory remarks to Pope Benedict.

Banners representing each of the honored archdioceses hung on the outfield walls, and the pope mentioned all five of the sees in his homily.

“At this Mass the church in the United States celebrates the 200th anniversary of the creation of the sees of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville from the mother see of Baltimore,” he said. He later noted the growth of the church from those early years.

“In this land of freedom and opportunity,” he said, the church has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of the faith and, through her many educational, charitable and social works, has also contributed significantly to the growth of American society as a whole.”

The pope’s words were met with both excitement and humility by many from the archdiocese.

Mildred and Thomas Ransdell were among the more than 400 who came by bus, and though they knew that another 13-hour bus ride awaited them after the Mass, they were delighted to have made the trip.

“We’ve both been really excited about the chance to do this,” Mildred Ransdell said, “and at our age this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip and one we wouldn’t have missed.”

Her husband agreed. “It’s the first time for either of us to see the pope,” he said. “The bus ride was certainly worth it.”

Debbie Ruhl from St. Pius X Church sat in the upper deck section near the Ransdells, but she and her family had flown to New York earlier in the week. They’d taken a bus, then the subway, from their hotel room near LaGuardia Airport, a trip that took an hour and a half though they were already in the city.

“We had friends who showed us which trains to take, how to use the subway,” Ruhl said. “It’s just exciting, however you get here. I’m just amazed, really, at the beauty of all of this.”

Lots of people were. Tim Weihe, principal of Holy Cross High School, and his counterpart at DeSales, Doug Strothman, were both impressed by the spectacle, the concert that preceded the Mass and the pope’s message.

“This was really a special moment,” Strothman said. “He had this tone about him, especially when he reached out to young people.”

Perry Sangalli, president of St. Xavier High School, agreed.

“His enthusiasm for young people is contagious,” he said. “And when you spend as much time with young people as I have, it’s very heartening to hear the pope reach out to them as he has.”

William D. Huston, president of St. Catharine College near Springfield, Ky., said the Mass and the pope’s appearance at New York revealed a person who differed from many of the written descriptions.

“He’s been portrayed as not being very warm or compassionate,” Huston said. “But I think this trip showed that image isn’t accurate. With this trip I think Pope Benedict has shown that he’s creating his own legacy.”