And Bill and Barbara McGowan of St. Pete Beach were right there to witness the introduction of their church's 265th pope.

``We're in the middle of a miracle!'' Barbara McGowan shouted above the din of the joyous crowd during a cell phone call to The Tampa Tribune. ``I'm never going to forget this as long as I live.''

The McGowans, members of St. John Vianney Catholic Church, flew to Italy on Thursday for a two-month stay in Tuscany. After Pope John Paul II died April 2, they decided to head to Rome for a few days, in hopes of being there when a new pope was elected.

``I predicted it would happen on Tuesday,'' she said. ``I like to give my opinion a lot, and I'm not always right. I was this time!''

Although hotels were booked all over the city, the couple found a room at Instituto Sana Giulianna Falconieri, a nearby convent.

On Monday, the opening day of the conclave, the McGowans got a seat near the front of the square, facing the balcony where the new pope would be introduced. They spent five hours waiting for the announcement that never came.

Tuesday, they returned for a four-hour stint in the morning, and another three hours in the afternoon as it rained intermittently. This time, their patience paid off.

``There's no sign of unhappiness here,'' said Bill McGowan, a retired lawyer. ``As far as the eye can see, people are smiling, clapping and very happy.''

He said the choice was ``just about perfect. We need a pope who understands European culture. It's becoming so secular over here, and we need someone to bring people back to the church.''

They were surrounded by people of all nationalities and could hear cheers in all languages. Seated next to them for the two-day wait was their new friend, Maria Starile, a German chemist who lives in Switzerland.

When the curtains opened and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger came out to the balcony, Starile shrieked with joy.

``This will be a great and wonderful thing for the church in Germany,'' she said.

Starile had not planned a trip to Rome. But after the pope's death, she boarded a train and managed to view the pope's body after a 17-hour wait.

``And I usually don't do such crazy things, being a scientist,'' she said. ``It was meant to be that I would be here to see a German become our pope.''

This is the McGowans second chance encounter with a pope. The last was in 1999, when they stopped in St. Peter's Basilica on Good Friday and Pope John Paul II was hearing confessions.

``We got a papal blessing then, and we got one today,'' she said. ``I don't know how we'll ever be able to top this experience. This pope was chosen by the Holy Spirit and we are right here, loving this moment.''

Listen to Bill and Barbara McGowan talk about their experiences while standing in St. Peter's Square.