By SARAH GARLAND

I took on the pope beat last weekend for a few days. While most media outlets flooded the zone with armies of cameras and reporters furiously scribbling about every move he made, it was just me for the Sun. On Friday, I followed hundreds of other reporters onto a caravan of buses and into a Secret Service security quarantine where we were denied food or water for about seven hours (last time I was funneled through Secret Service bag check, we ended up in a room with a lavish breakfast buffet. But that was for President Bush, this was for the Pope. Fasting, I suppose, was somehow more appropriate). In the end I was rewarded by some great interviews with folks who showed up at the church on the Upper East Side to see Benedict, including a group of ecstatic nuns and a grumpy priest who provided my kicker. Here are some dispatches from the weekend, including a long news analysis looking at the impact of the trip

At ‘Crossroads,’ Benedict Calls for Increased Faith
April 18, 2008
http://nysun.com/news/%E2%80%98crossroads%E2%80%99-benedict-calls-increased-faith

Benedict Reaches Out to Ecumenical Community in NYC
April 18, 2008
http://nysun.com/news/new-york/benedict-reaches-out-ecumenical-community-new-york

‘Use Wisely the Blessings of Freedom’
Pontiff Ends Visit With a Challenge
April 21, 2008
http://www.nysun.com/news/use-wisely-blessings-freedom