40,000 YOUTHS,CHURCH LEADERS MARCH PRIOR TO POPE'S ARRIVAL

ST. LOUIS -- They came carrying banners proclaiming "Viva Il Papa" and colorful flags representing their schools and churches.

More than 40,000 Roman Catholic youths and church leaders gathered under the shadow of the Gateway Arch in the early morning Tuesday for a one-mile Walk in the Light march prior to Pope John Paul II's mid-afternoon arrival.

The 78-year-old pontiff arrived in the city Tuesday afternoon for a youth rally and Mass Wednesday morning.

Hundreds of youths from Southeast Missouri attended Tuesday's events. Nearly 350 tickets were distributed by the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese. Another 1,100 people were to attend Mass.

The events "help people learn about their faith and gets them more into their faith," said Derek Kutz of Perryville.

Kutz was one of about 300 students from St. Vincent de Paul School in Perryville who marched along the streets.

Because police couldn't block the entire route from traffic, the youths marched in waves of 2,000 along Market Street.

They ended their march at the Papal Plaza, a tented area covering six city blocks open to anyone without tickets to Kiel.

The rally, with its live bands and speakers, was clearly designed for the youths who will lead the Catholic Church into the new millennium.

Standing inside the plaza, visitors could easily feel the energy. Rock music blared from loudspeakers. Jumbotron screens showed the airport arrival and popemobile parade route.

An estimated 20,000 youths entered the Kiel Center in the early afternoon for the Light of the World youth gathering and evening prayer service with the pontiff.

Though they appeared to be more caught up in the activities of the day, the youths did realize the magnitude of the day, said Teresa LeGrand of Kelso.

Getting youths to attend a church-sponsored event wasn't as hard as it sounds, sponsors say.

"It's all on their level," said Virginia Conklin, a youth sponsor from St. Augustine Church in Kelso. "It renews their faith in God."

The papal visit to St. Louis will last only 30 hours. It is the pope's only scheduled visit to the United States during 1999.