The scene in the stands

Globe reporter Tania deLuzuriaga is embedded with the Boston pilgrims at Yankee Stadium; she was barred from bringing a laptop inside but banged out this dispatch on her BlackBerry:

Mass is about to start here in Yankee Stadium and there's an aura of anticipation in the air.

The bishops are filing in and most everyone is seated.

We arrived just before noon, after waiting in the security line for 40 minutes. Chaos ensued as people looking for their seats converged with those looking for the bathroom or a snack. Yes, while it was prohibited to bring food, among other things, into the stadium, the concessions are in full operation, a prospect that may enable some to celebrate their first Mass while eating popcorn.

The seats for the Archdiocese of Boston are located in an upper tier of the park, but right behind home plate.

"They're great seats," said Tim Higgins of Easton, who is attending the Mass with his wife and two children. "The archdiocese really took care of us."

The crowd is tremendously diverse. Knights of Columbus in feathered chapeaus and satin capes wander by girls in tight jeans and flip flops. And senior citizens in their Sunday best rub elbows with priests in black cassocks and men in Yankees windbreakers.

"It's all different people, and all different languages," said Philomene Pean, a Haitian immigrant who lives in Everett. "It's amazing."

By Tania deLuzuriaga, Globe Staff

To read all of our dispatches about the papal trip, click here.

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